All About Him
by guitar73girl
Summary: Alex and Bobby explore their fledgling relationship and there's an unusual situation for our favourite Detective!
1. Monday Morning Coming Down

**Précis: Alex and Bobby explore their fledgling relationship and there's an unusual situation for our favourite Detective!**

A/N This story follows on from 'All About Her', a little fluff and a little mystery combined! B/A Pairing.

Spoilers: Vague allusions only as I've not seen Season 6 yet! (Jealous, much??).

Disclaimer: Mr Wolf owns them and I don't. They're only mine to play with.

**

* * *

****Ch.1 Monday Morning Coming Down**

Alex Eames was on the energetic side of peppy. An over-the-top, _'the hills are alive with the sound of music' _Julie Andrews and Mary Poppins level of pep.

Which anyone who even casually knew Alex would tell you was really unusual, given not a _single, solitary_ drop of java had passed her lips yet. Apparently, a little romance in this girl's life was better than any miracle multi-vitamin concoction for encouraging a little get up and go.

6:05am and all's right with the world. Alex was psyched and ready to face the day, just so long as her Partner (in every sense of the word) was along for the ride.

Alex was still amazed she'd managed to sleep at all last night, but sleep she had, waking more refreshed than in many a month. In the untainted purity of those early morning moments, sweet memories of this weekend swirled like a kaleidoscope, the images, scents and sounds rich and vibrant. The tastes and sensations dark and intimate. No doubt about it. He'd got her good.

She closed her eyes, just for a moment, and memories came flooding into her mind. Bobby had been endearingly sweet, vulnerable yet able to ask for what _he_ wanted most. She liked to think that she'd given him whatever it was he needed to make that leap – and if it wasn't her, well… then she thanked whatever deity had intervened on their behalf.

After so many years without a significant other, it was going to take some getting used to… to thinking of herself as one half of a very satisfying, if always challenging, whole.

Speaking of said challenging other half, she was going to be late. And that would never do! Snatching the keys, Alex bounced out to the SUV. She and Bobby had agreed on breakfast together today. A war council, if you would, to formulate a plan of attack.

Each had decided they needed to connect before work took over and, truthfully, neither one trusting themselves to not be _too_ transparent in the company of their ever vigilant colleagues, given the newness of their burgeoning romance.

A little perspective, as well as little breakfast, was needed. Caffeine and calories were always a great leveller!

Thank God they were smart though. Both knew they had to be circumspect at work. Okay, so the rules didn't _specifically_ preclude a relationship between Partners. Nevertheless, six years was a hell of a lot to give up on. And an incredible incentive to make it work.

They had a dynamic together that meant they needed to work together seamlessly on a multitude of levels if they were going get the best out of every facet of their relationship. _'Best tone down the 'pep', Eames'_, Alex laughingly coached. It'd only take a moment for eagle eyed Logan to spot her out of character attitude adjustment.

'Hey! Maybe they'd get to hold hands, or neck a little before facing into work?' 

Brightening at the prospect, Alex pealed away, and hurried on her way to Bobby's.

* * *

Drawing up to his building, Alex flipped open her cell, dialling his number on auto-pilot. Two-seconds later, Bobby's gorgeously warm and welcoming dulcet tones teased her, sending a plethora of tiny little butterflies into acrobatics in her stomach… "Good Morning, Alex. You ready for me?"

Smirking, Alex gave into the temptation to tease him just a little, "Always, Bobby, always! But it's a little early right now, so how 'bout we start with breakfast first. Your treat!"

Bobby let his apartment door slam shut behind him, and loped down the hallway, suited and booted with portfolio safely under his arm, eager to see Alex. Mornings like this he could get used to. Mornings when almost all seems right in his world had been few and far between.

Days like yesterday unheard of. But, oh so welcome.

He paused to check for mail, _'Mmm…strange, none there for the third day running?'_ he mused, slightly perplexed, and bent to grab his paper _'Gotta have the crossword!'._ Bobby lithely snaked through the front door on the heels of an incoming tenant, eyes locked on the black SUV idling at the kerb, oblivious to bodies weaving round him. Swinging himself into the seat that was perfectly adjusted for his long frame, he took his time settling his accoutrements round him, securing his safety belt, heightening the anticipation. Finally, he allowed himself to look at Alex, only to ruefully note her amusement at his behaviour.

"You sure you're ready, Goren?" she quipped.

"Yeah, Eames. I'm ready. Where d'you want to eat?"

"Eames, huh?" Alex sniped, "We back to being formal now? Want me to call you 'Goren' all day?"

Snark turned sharp. Uncertainty reared its ugly head, making her retort sharper than she'd intended. Alex admitted to feeling a little more nervous than she'd anticipated.

Her hands gripped the steering wheel, the knuckles taughtened to white, a dead giveaway to her ever-vigilant Partner. Trying to cover her nervousness, Alex nervously laughed in a vain attempt to lighten the suddenly weighted atmosphere.

Gently, not wanting to spook her, Bobby reached out and enveloped her nearest hand in his warm, comforting grip. One by one, he slowly peeled each finger off the steering wheel, releasing her death grip, holding her hand gently.

"Hey, Alex?" Claiming her attention, Bobby smiled ruefully. "I guess this'll take a some getting used to on both our parts, huh?"

"Yeah, more than I thought" she admitted, a little chagrined.

"Let's have that conversation over breakfast. In the meantime, how about something to make us both feel better?" Bobby had that sweetly shy, little boy smile firmly fixed on his face. He looked like a kid who wanted to ask for the best birthday present ever and was determined to look like the best, most well behaved angel ever, to ensure he got it.

An anticipatory smile ghosted Alex's lips. _'Well, we've done the hand-holding thing. Can we skip straight to the necking?' _she postulated.

Squeezing the hand he still held, Alex replied, "What do you have in mind, Bobby? I already promised you breakfast this morning! What else could you possibly need so desperately?" Although she had an idea, needing the self-same thing. Six-years together will do that.

"I… uh… Mainly I need you. May I… Could I kiss you 'Good Morning'?" Ducking his head, he concentrated on their clasped hands.

Alex unwound her other hand from the wheel, and allowed her fingers to tunnel through his salt and pepper locks. "Bobby, you **never** need to ask, okay? **That** will always be okay."

Familiarity made a world of difference. Two days as an official 'couple', well official to themselves anyway, and Alex thought they'd got this kissing thing down to a fine art. It was amazing how quickly they'd learnt each others little nuances and pleasure points.

Slow and languid. Warm, wet and sensual. Bobby tasted toothpaste and Alex, and tellingly, no coffee. Alex sampled the essence of pure Bobby. Bobby nipped and nibbled his way around her soft and gentle lips, one hand still clasping hers, the other mirroring Alex's soft forays through his hair, cupping, supporting, moulding her head, angling her perfectly for a deeper, more intimate kiss.

Alex moaned in deep, deep appreciation of her very talented man and yielded to the gentle pressure he exerted, at the same time tightening the hold on his hand, as if to anchor herself. Tongues tangled and tested. Thrust and Parry. Warmth and welcome. Reminiscent and promising of an act they had yet to indulge in. _'Oh, God' Alex thought, 'I could get addicted to this…'_Then conscious thought vacated her brain in favour of pure experiential bliss.

Bobby was equally lost, and overwhelmed… yes, that was the right word… overwhelmed by the vehemence of his passion towards Alex. Thrilled and excited by her responsiveness to him. _'Goren, why did it take you so long to make a move. You __**knew**__ it would be this good.' _Bobby lightly berated himself for a scant second before sinking once more into the joy of being with Alex, of being allowed to kiss Alex.

Moments extended into endless minutes. Suddenly, Alex's perspective returned. Necking in the front seat of the car! Two people who ought to know better, utterly lost in each other, uncaring whom may pass by. _'Thank God for tinted windows', _she gasped.

Withdrawing reluctantly from the blissful nirvana, Alex dropped her forehead to Bobby's chest and let her hurried breathing return to normal. Bobby leant back in the passenger seat and just enjoyed holding her, his warm lips, damp from her mouth, idly brushing her temple, willing his pulse, and other things, to subside a little.

Gradually, Alex found her voice.

"Hold that thought for after work, Soldier. And, hey, a word of advice. **Don't** try that in the Captain's Office. I don't think Ross would enjoy it half as much as I did!"

* * *

"Mmm, for some reason I seem to have somewhat of an appetite. Wonder why?" Alex teased.

"Hey, don't blame me." Bobby raised both palms votively. "It doesn't seem to take much to encourage your, um, _appetites_!" Alex thought how plain nice it was to watch him smiling and teasing her right back. _'I did that' _she mused, proudly. Bobby continued, unaware of her thoughts, "I seem to have done nothing but feed you this weekend!"

"Oh, you'll get yours Goren! Don't worry! Didn't I just give you a little appetiser? You'll have to be satisfied with that!" Pure devilment lit her hazel eyes, as she ran the toe of her boot-clad foot lightly up his inseam…and laughed delightedly at his startled reaction. Quickly, she took her appendage out of harms, and temptations way.

"Seriously, Bobby, we said we'd talk over breakfast about how to handle things at work. What do you want to do? Who'd you want to tell?"

Bobby studiously stirred his coffee and avoided her earnest gaze. Selfishly, he didn't want to tell anyone. He wanted to enjoy what they were discovering together to the exclusion of all others. Just for a little while. This was too new, too precious to expose to the vitriol and opinions of those who knew little about him. Time would be his friend.

"Alex, I… I guess I thought we'd take a little time to ourselves, get used to being 'us' before we invite anyone else in. I'd rather not 'tell' anyone. If… if that's okay with you?" His cautious gaze rose to meet her soft, hazel eyes, expecting censure and finding compassion and understanding instead.

"How about this? If they ask, we tell. If they don't, we don't. Kind of like a reverse 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy?" Alex proposed, reaching out and stilling the large pale hand still studiously and repetitively stirring coffee clockwise, then anti-clockwise.

"I… I guess that would be okay. I can't see we'd be too different… obvious… at work." mused Bobby, role-playing various scenarios over in his ever active and capacious mind.

Alex immediately retorted sarcastically, piqued at his supposed indifference, "I'll do my level best to resist throwing you over your desk and ravishing you six ways to Sunday, Goren!"

Startled by her bold declaration, Bobby laughed and quickly moved to reassure her. "Alex, much as I'd love that, as you said, I don't think the Captain would be too impressed!"

Leaning closer, he soothed ruffled feathers with soft strokes of his long fingers through her silky locks, tickling an earlobe with each pass. Alex all but purred, leaning into his soft and soothing touch. "All I meant was, we're so in tune with each other at work anyway, that I don't see what's to notice. I already open doors for you. You'll still drive, I'll still fetch you coffee and breakfast…"

Alex smiled softly, intimately and finished his musings, knowing where he was going with this,"…and you'll still call me 'Eames' at work, whilst I'll still call you 'Bobby'" Alex paused… thought for a moment… then smiled triumphantly. "Unless you piss me off… and then it's 'Goren'… and no 'afters' for you!

Bobby pretended to pout… bottom lip protruding just enough to give him that adorable, angelic, little boy lost look, the one with the irresistible half-smile playing around his lips. "And what about if I'm a good boy, Alex? What do I get then?"

Grinning at his antics, Alex nodded sagely, as if about to impart great wisdom.

"Ah, Bobby… you of all people must know, good things come to those who wait!"

Psyched for work, sated after breakfast and Bobby, Alex neatly slid out of the booth and held her hand out to him. "Come on, time to be a brave soldier and meet another day head on."

Bobby hastened to leave enough to cover the check and a tip. Mirroring Alex, he slid from the bench and, taking her hand, led the way to the SUV.

* * *

"Goren, get in here!"

As one, every head in the immediate vicinity turned to the source of the command. Ross was pissed. Seriously pissed.

Bobby started and looked around at his fellow Detectives, both sheepish and confused. He wasn't used to being called to account in quite that manner. And honestly, he couldn't think of a single thing he'd done to warrant chastisement from the Captain.

Directly across from him, Alex smirked at him. "Bobby, I don't know what the hell you've done this time, but he's seriously annoyed. Want me to come with?"

Bobby groaned audibly, dropped his head, mumbling "Please. I think I'm either gonna need a witness… or protection!"

Together they made their way across the Bullpen, sympathetic faces following their progress, and, still together, they stepped into the 'Dragon's Den'.

Ross was silent. Ignoring the pair, he set about systematically shutting out the curious Georges outside his office. He closed the door firmly and decisively drew each blind.

Drawing a deep breath, Ross turned to face his most effective, intelligent and, at the same time, unpredictable and frustrating team. He studied Bobby, who'd taken a defensive position over by the wall, leaning against the window frame. He was looking at the outside world, a look of deliberate concentration on his face, studiously avoiding the Captain's gaze.

Alex had taken the chair in front of the desk, adopting a classic defensive pose, arms and legs tightly crossed. He imagined all her digits to be tightly twisted too. Ross's gaze collided with Alex's. He inwardly winced. Alex had her patented _'No-one messes with my Partner'_ look on her face.

Ross frowned. He knew better than to mess with Alex where Bobby was concerned. She was fiercely loyal to her unpredictable bear of a Partner.

Goren, on the other hand, he'd yet to work out. And, truth be told, wasn't sure he'd ever get to the same level of understanding and appreciation that Deakins had with Bobby. He'd overlooked a lot these past few months, in the interest of harmony and to maintain the sanctity of the indivisible team of two. Some things, though, he couldn't overlook. No matter how he wanted to.

Taking a deep breath, he cleared his throat, demanding their attention. Attempting a mild tone that belied his frustration, he adopted an air of enduring patience and threw out an opening gambit.

"Goren? Want to tell me why I got the Chief of the Traffic Division calling me… about you?"

Bobby squirmed restively, turning his gaze from the window and quirked an expressive eyebrow at his Captain. "I… I don't th…think we have a current case involving traffic, Captain."

Ross couldn't decide if Goren was being deliberately obtuse or not. It was kind of hard to tell with him. Only Alex could read his signs, hence the appearance, and rumours, of telepathy between them. Their partnership had long ago reached the point of not needing words.

"It's not a case, Goren. It's you! The Chief rang me personally, just to let me know that one of my Major Case Detectives has a major problem. Specifically, a list of outstanding parking violations up to the wazoo!"

At that, Alex sat ramrod straight. "Captain! That can't be. Bobby never drives, even when we…" trailing off guiltily. _"Oops! Way to go! Alex. Why don't you just confess all to your boss! "_, Alex inwardly berated herself.

"When you what, Detective?" Ross immediately pounced on the almost admission. Holding up a hand, he stopped an inclination she may have had to confess something he may, or may not, have been ready to hear. "Never mind, Eames. The only thing I want to hear at this moment is **his** explanation.", pointing emphatically at Bobby. "Well?"

* * *

_A/N Reviews are like individual spoonfuls of honey… each one sweetly savoured. Please leave one and tell me what you think!_

_Ch2. Coming soon: What has Bobby got to say for himself?_


	2. Oh Oh, He's In Trouble

Disclaimer: Mr Wolf owns them and I don't. They're only mine to play with.

* * *

Ch.2 Oh, Oh! He's in Trouble 

"I… I just don't g…get it" stammered Bobby, shocked, his eyes entreating Alex to believe him. "I _never_ get parking tickets… ever… I… I've never had a single one!"

Greedily snatching the wildly flapping sheaf of papers Ross held in evidence of his alleged transgressions, Bobby blindly reversed, seeking and retreating to his favoured chair, the one by the bureau and next to the window. Un-noticing of Alex's chagrin at almost revealing more than Ross was ready to hear, uncaring that his Captain had more than reached boiling point, he anxiously and avidly scanned the 'proof' of his misdemeanours.

Soothing, shushing, reassuring, Alex uttered a single rejoinder "To get a ticket, Bobby, you'd have to drive somewhere! And that's my job." Flashing him a secret, mischievous grin, Alex took the sting from her words.

Ross watched his two best detectives speculatively. Finding Goren's reaction to be suitably shocked and therefore refreshingly reassuring, he sought a logical explanation. "Goren, you sure that's your car?"

Bobby triple checked, just to be sure, and winced. "Yeah, Captain. It's mine alright. Christ, it's not even the department SUV… its mine! Alex… I… I swear… I did **not** get these." What Ross thought of him was irrelevant. Alex, on the other hand... _Alex_ he didn't want to disappoint.

Alex turned to Ross, spit, fire and sass flashing, a lioness protecting her mate, frustration colouring her words, peppering her tone. "Captain, if Bobby says he didn't do this, then I believe him…"

Cutting her off in mid-flow, Ross held up a firm hand quickly inserted, "Eames… whatever you were about to say – don't! This is a moment for discretion."

Danny Ross turned to her Partner, whose nose was still buried in copies of parking violations; his confused frustration etched quite clearly on his face, and mused a little on the situation. _'Okay, so he's not your normal investigator. So he's been more stressed and distracted these past few months, but parking tickets? Come on… that's too easy, too… pedestrian for Goren. There's gotta be more to this than I'm seeing.'_

A sudden movement to his left brought Ross to attention as Bobby, disjointed and jerky, all arms, legs and purposeful movement, swept from the office, papers trailing, oblivious to Ross and Alex, abandoned in his wake.

His march through the squad room produced a shockwave, as one by one, each formerly staring head judiciously buried itself in some suddenly, vitally important piece of triplicated paperwork.

Momentarily speechless, Ross turned to his Senior Detective, ultimatums spewing forth. "Eames, I don't care what it takes; you need to sort this out with your Partner! You're the Senior Partner. Can I trust you to get to the bottom of this, **irrespective** of what it might mean for Goren?"

Alex contemplated her Captain, and took a moment to consider just how many forms of fiery hell she was courting for lying to her boss whilst crossing her fingers against promises coerced at the same time. The small, childish act a legacy from years of stretching the truth with an extended number of Eamses. Alex responded promptly, with no small amount of guile, "I promise, Captain, whatever we… I … uncover, you'll be the first call I make."

A swift about face took her into the squad room, to face the hundred and one faces Bobby had been oblivious to, too embroiled in and entranced by his new personal quest to notice the attention as he single-mindedly ploughed through the bullpen. The hundred and one faces which were now, as one, piercing her with the eyes of a thousand stares. Each reluctant to engage a clearly troubled Detective Goren, yet Alex it seemed, was fair game.

"What?! You telling me you never saw a detective get balled out before? Sheesh!" Throwing slender hands skywards, she pursued her single-minded Partner into their favourite, happily vacant, blessedly quiet conference room, leaving the roomful of nodding dogs firmly behind her.

It was a reassuring sight for Alex, to see her Partner retreating into his familiar and favoured routines, occupying a conference room to set up his own personal shrine to every single, solitary piece of evidence. Bobby saved, savoured and catalogued each and every nugget of information, documenting comprehensively in his beloved portfolio.

Sometimes, seemingly inconsequential pieces of information combined, entwined and coalesced into incontrovertible proof of guilt. A pattern here, a mistake there, a clever step too far… No matter how good, how devious, how calculating the perpetrator, not a one was a match for the complimentary investigative excellence of Goren and Eames. _'Gee, Alex… you got the two of you sounding like a comedy double… or a trailer for a cop show!' _she silently scoffed.

Objectively scanning the room, Alex noted the bare, Formica-topped table strewn with the myriad of traffic violations, the empty pin board set up on an easel, ready for key pieces of evidence to decorate it, white board and pens at the ready… and Bobby… Bobby, dry wipe marker pen in hand, ready to assimilate all the information set out before him and analyse it on the already half-drawn grid on the aforementioned white board.

Date, time, parking zone, issued by… where was I? 

An amused, yet relieved, smile decorated Alex's face at the antics of her Partner. Shutting the door firmly, Alex excluded the world outside, cocooning them safely from prying eyes and inquisitive ears.

Leaning back against the door, arms casually folded, Alex teasingly inquired, "Bobby… you getting a head start without me? You gonna work it all out on your own? Hey, I could do with the break… catch up on the paperwork…", the last remark accompanied by a patented lift of an eyebrow, coupled with a sarcastic little smirk of her soft lips. As if Bobby ever got to the paperwork anyway!

Bobby frowned, barely glancing up at his amused Partner… his puzzled eyes glued to the ticket in hand. "Uh… sorry, Eames… er, Alex... sorry, gotta get this down, figure this out…"

Exasperated, an emotion Alex was no stranger to around Bobby, she mused out loud, eyes cast heavenward, " Two whole days as a couple, Alex… two … and you've already been replaced by a piece of paper!" Leaning over, she drew Bobby's attention with the firm slap of her palm on the papers he was perusing, "Bobby, do **not** do this right now. Do not shut me out."

Bobby looked at the pale, delicate digits anchoring the paper to the table... and realised he'd been blindly forging ahead without consulting with his most valuable resource… Alex Eames, Detective First Grade, Major Case Squad. _'You idiot, Goren, you know she's a brilliant investigator with about a million 'in's' to various departments and an uncanny knack for squeezing information from the infernal, confounded NYPD computer systems.'_

Alex tried again to connect with the inner Bobby, "I know what you were thinking back there in the Captain's Office, Bobby. I. Am. Not. Disappointed. In. You. You got that? You don't have to do this on your own."

Tilting his head just a little to the left, Bobby contemplated Alex's determination, painted clear as day on her delightful features, right alongside her unquestioning belief in him. It needed no defining… it just… was.

"Eames… Alex… I'm sorry, okay? I know I don't have to work this out on my own. You're always there for me. I just… I just got a little single-minded for a moment and forgot my most useful investigative tool." Bobby smiled, doing a little reassuring of his own.

"What? So now you're comparing me to your library card?" Alex wasn't sure whether to be annoyed or amused. "Goren, you better have one hell of a fantastic explanation for that analogy!"

Bobby visibly winced. This girlfriend/boyfriend thing was obviously trickier and more of an emotional minefield than the Senior Partner/Partner thing. Which they'd obviously had more practice at. _'Well' _he mused_'We'll have fun, working it out together. Might as well start out right.'_

Scooting out the chair next to him, he entreated Alex to sit, gracing her with his best _'Please don't be mad at me' _smile, the one with the slight uplift at the corners of his mouth, a mere glimpse of white teeth and oodles of humour lurking in the depths of his eyes. God knows he'd perfected it over six years of leading her into tricks, traps and situations she didn't ask for but ultimately went along with. Alex sat, slightly mollified, but left her hand on the papers on the desktop as an… exclamation point.

A quick, surreptitious scan of the environs beyond the conference room convinced Bobby they were being left well alone, courtesy, no doubt, of his earlier single-minded march through the bullpen. He slid his hand over and around hers, linking their fingers together, for a moment mulling over the fact he was allowed to touch her like this, and risked stroking his thumb over her knuckles, attempting to distract and muddle and entice at the same time. A kiss would be better but he valued his life. Alex had already warned him about resisting temptation at work.

"No… No… you rank much, much higher that that, Alex" Bobby neatly sidestepped, dodging the swat to his shoulder. "More than equal to the best of my favourite reference books. Look, seriously… you know you're invaluable to me. The best Partner I ever had, and the only one I will have – unless you go and get made Captain, which with your history is probable at some point. Point is, I forgot for a moment that I need you to help make sense of why **my** car is collecting citations all over town and why I'm the last to hear about it."

Drawing a deep breath, Bobby sat back and pinched the bridge of his nose, briefly closing his eyes. Alex, feeling a little more grounded, took pity on her Partner.

"Bobby, think of it this way – it's not often a person gets to investigate themselves for a crime. The Captain's given you this opportunity to straighten this mess out and that's exactly what we're going to do, okay? Now hand me some of those tickets. I'll read… you write… that way you can ponder and postulate as we go. See? Normal service resumed."

His smile resurrecting, Bobby passed the pile of paperwork to Alex, "What? No sassy comeback? You know I'm going to be concerned if you morph into 'Nice Alex' all the time. Besides, what'll I do when I need 'bad cop'…?"

Alex picked up the nearest article to her right hand, which thankfully was only an eraser, and scored a direct hit on her Partner's forehead. "You could always call on Logan, if you want bad cop… if you want 'Bad Alex', well… didn't I tell you only this morning that good things come to those who wait? Speaking of which, **if** we get through these in reasonable time, and **if** you behave yourself, I will _personally ta_ke you to lunch at the diner of your choice for a heartburn sandwich!"

Raising his hands in supplication, Bobby quickly, happily capitulated "Okay, okay… whatever you say, Eames… Go ahead… read out the first one…"

Not a little distracted by her avowal, Bobby considered her words and decided, while they were working, to let his left-brain ponder on the infinite possibilities 'Bad Alex' presented!

* * *

Alex stole the last fry from Bobby's neglected plate and contemplated her Partner's frustration across the booth in their favourite diner. Not even New York's finest Pastrami on rye with extra mustard and double curly fries had managed to put a smile on his face. Swallowing a sigh, Alex thanked God she'd replenished her stock of Pepto and Advil. It looked more than likely both would be required before the day was out. 

"Bobby, lighten-up. We both know it's not you. We proved it just now. Half the time, you were nowhere near where the ticked was gotten, and for the other half you were with me in the department SUV or over at Carmel Ridge with your Mom. Someone is messing with you. Granted, it's not particularly funny, but there's gotta be a reason they picked **you**."

"We're happy it's not me, Alex. Might take something a little more concrete to convince Ross and the brass over at Traffic." Bobby morosely contemplated his coffee cup, swirling the inky liquid this way and that, mirroring his distraction.

"You know what, Bobby? Apply some of that encyclopaedic knowledge of psychology you have lurking in there. Why would someone choose to draw the attention of Major Case this way, and in particular you? There must be easier ways than something this elaborate and planned." Alex pushed Bobby to detach himself from the personal nature of the problem and apply the logic he was famed for.

"Think about it, Bobby. To get these tickets against you, they needed to emulate your vehicle _perfectly_. Same make, model, year and _same licence plate_. What does that tell you?" Patiently, Alex waited for Bobby to connect the dots.

"It means whoever it is knows me, knows what I drive and has been close enough to identify the licence… and copy it. It means he… she… no, definitely a he… girls don't normally do car crime… it's a girl thing…" Absently, oblivious for a moment to Alex's triumphant grin at the sight of her Partner 'doing his thing', Bobby drifted into the epitome of 'the thinking man', elbow propped on the diner table, chin cradled in his left hand, one long finger stretched towards his hairline, eyes heavy-lidded, at half-mast.

Alex stopped to wipe imaginary drool off of her chin. God, if only Bobby knew how hot that look is! _'Down Girl, keep your mind in the office! Plenty of time for that later…' _

Bobby blithely continued on, expounding his theory with greater enthusiasm and verve. "Eames… ahh, Alex? Were any of those tickets gotten anywhere near security cameras? Or for anything involving a traffic camera? You… you can find that out, r…right? From the, ah, from the system that automates the tickets and sends them? Don't they keep the… recordings?"

'_Ah, that's more like it!', _Alex grinned, as Bobby's Italian speaking hands, in full illustrative flight, took an inadvertent swipe at the ketchup bottle, consigning it to a bloody death on the diner's previously spotless floor._ 'The Goren Show's back on Broadway'._

"Alex, I just realise something else… I mean I thought it was weird this morning, but I, ugh, I got distracted by the promise of meeting you for breakfast and kind of 'parked' it in the back of my mind…' Trailing off, temporarily distracted by the approving grin Alex sent his way, Bobby abandoned his train of thought in favour of returning the smile with one of his own.

"What was weird, Bobby?" Although rejoicing in the return of a happier, motivated and enthused Bobby, Alex felt the need to prompt him to complete the thought left hovering, suspended, between them.

Bobby complied, eager to furnish details, no matter the relevance, but certain of the significance. "Mail… my mail, I mean. I… didn't get any today… or over the weekend… or Thursday, Friday last week. Someone didn't w… want me to know about their game plan too early. They needed it to get to the point where **we** would need to investigate it. Eames, whoever it is, they want me to find them… need us to find them!"

Alex couldn't resist… "Holy Postal Service, Batman. Shall we retreat to the Bat Cave? I'll fire up the laptop… see if we can't get a little film action! You… you can do the dark, enigmatic, brooding thing and keep me entertained… while you plan how to interrogate your Super… and the postal worker… and the local outlets round your apartment with security cameras… and we'll both ignore the pile of paperwork gracing _both _our desks! Deal?"

Bobby laughed, a full-throated, deep-chested actual goddamn laugh, suitably humbled and entreated Alex to take his hand. The diner was sufficiently off the beaten track, he didn't expect to see any faces familiar to 1PP, but in deference to Alex and a deep seated desire to keep themselves for, well… themselves, he took a second to briefly survey the clientele.

"Alexandra Eames, for that alone you deserve a margarita! You have an unparalleled ability to ground me. You have a deal." To her surprise, Bobby sealed the deal… with his lips… brushing them languidly, warmly, softly over the back of her hand. _'Only 18__th__ Century women swoon, right? Breathe, Alex… remember to breathe!_

Embarrassed by her reaction, Alex brusquely demanded, "Pay the check, Goren…"

Surprised, and amused, at the swift change of subject, Bobby quickly rejoined, "Me? I thought you were treating?"

"Yeah, well… that's before you melted my synapses! Settle up and let's go!", sliding from booth, Alex strode out to their SUV, keys in hand.

* * *

"Bobby, I've been through all these citations, and three were for running lights with cameras on. The recordings are being sent directly to the techs for downloading. We should be able to view them in the morning." Snapping her laptop shut, Alex turned expectantly to Bobby. She'd swiftly regained her equilibrium after lunch, thanks to a venti vanilla latte from Starbucks. 

"Same here. I have security footage coming from a couple of cameras near my place and a… a call into the district post office to trace the… carrier on my route. Should get a call back tomorrow on it. My super I… I can tackle in the morning." Bobby was infinitely happier now than earlier this morning. "You want to go update the Captain? Tell him how well you're keeping an eye on me?"

There was no malice in his tone, only mild amusement at his frustrating interactions with Ross. Alex was sure they'd reach an understanding in time. Bobby, not quite so.

"Okay. I'll go do that. I think we're done for the day anyway and paperwork can wait a few more hours. Come home with me?"

"You… you want to discuss the case?" Bobby trod lightly, unwilling to assume or hope she'd want his company tonight after spending the weekend together.

Crossing to where Bobby sat, Alex's eyes sparkled with devilment. Leaning her folded arms on the back of his chair, she inclined her head towards his, craned her neck a little to peer over his right shoulder and, making as if to read something on the desk in front of him, gently… oh so gently… blew a stream of warm, moist air into his sensitive lobe, breathing an invitation. "No, see, Bobby… I want _you_ to come home with _me_."

A barely suppressed shudder shivered down his spine, heading south, as each tiny little hair saluted on the back of his neck. A flush suffusing his cheeks, Bobby could only think of a single response.

"Yes… please…"

* * *

A/N Thanks for all the great reviews for Ch.1! Sorry for the delay… pesky real world invaded for a while. But I beat it back again! Huge thanks to Scripted Starlet for providing a voice of reason amongst the madness, and checking this chapter out for me! I hope you all liked it. Please, let me know... ! 


	3. An Evening With Alex

Disclaimer: Oh, were it that they were mine… but they belong to Mr Wolf.

Rating: Still T - although this chapter has grownups sharing grownup things… ;)

* * *

Ch.3 An Evening with Alex 

"_Come home with me?"_

Those four little words echoed through Bobby's rapidly unravelling mind as he stared absently out the passenger window of the swiftly moving SUV. Four little words to enthral, entice and… let's face it… downright scare any man. Four important, exciting amazing words rendering him immediately compliant.

Ross had been amazed… and exceedingly intrigued… at how quickly his two Detectives had cleared the decks and hit the elevator, heading at speed for the parking garage. To give them their dues, they'd handed in all their paperwork first. Meticulously complete and 100 accurate for once. Almost as if neither one wanted anything to hinder them leaving on the dot of 5pm.

Now they were hurtling towards Alex's at a significant rate of knots. And Alex thought he was the Messerschmitt pilot! Her eagerness was… flattering. And endearing. Bobby mused and pondered on how different and pleasurable getting to know Alex this way was. Everything was bright and new and bathed in the heady glow of anticipation and happiness. A novel sensation but an experience he had no desire to curtail and every intention to prolong.

Drawing the SUV to the kerb, Alex let it idle a second before slowly turning off the engine, almost as if in slow motion. Suddenly, the act of asking Bobby to come home with her and the reality of the event collided, exploding in a mass of un-Eames like uncertainty. A new experience for the perennially strong, independent Alexandra Eames.

_'Oh, God… what did I think I was gonna do with him once I got him here?' _Alex debated, suddenly rueing her impulsive invitation.

Bobby regarded the steps to Alex's home, as familiar now to him as his own apartment. Wondering at their unscheduled pause, he turned to Alex - only to be faced with her unsettled countenance. And found a paradox. And here he thought he'd be the more anxious one. Instead the _rightness_ of the event settled on him.

Sliding out of the passenger seat, he skirted the hood and reached for the driver's side door. Swinging it open, Bobby reached in and relieved Alex of the keys. Holding his hand out to her in entreaty, his warmly affectionate, confident eyes met her cautious gaze.

"Take me home, Alex?"

And, instantly, it was that simple. Sliding from the driver's seat, Alex let Bobby catch her securely as her toes met tarmac. The click of the central locking securing the vehicle echoed in their wake as she led her Partner, boyfriend, _lover?_ by the hand into her home.

"Want a dri… mmumph…?" Alex's offer quickly drowned under the sweet pressure of Bobby's deliciously divine mouth on hers, her back flattened flush to her closed front door, toes clinging to the floor, scrabbling for purchase as Bobby's hands, arms and body unwittingly fitted itself closely to hers, unconsciously lifting, supporting and framing her. Oh God! The power of this man had surely been designed specifically to totally overwhelm her every sense.

For Bobby, the aphrodisiac effect of Alex's invitation hit in one smooth direct strike. At once, he felt he couldn't possibly survive another single moment without her taste to sustain him. The warmth and welcome in her sharp intake of breath, in the softening of warm, full lips, in the tentative… then the determined… touch of her tongue to his rewarded his impatience.

Everything stilled and gentled, the outside world diminishing into insignificance. The here and now swelled and took on immense proportion. Kisses frantic and gentle, soft and hard, sweet and to be savoured, were both shared and traded in equal measure.

The initial heated moments of this first private embrace burned quickly, the fire peaking and settling to the intensity of banked embers. Alex broke reluctant lips from Bobby's and drew a shuddering gasp of much needed oxygen, resting her forehead against his temple.

"Geez, Goren… give a girl a moment's notice, why don't you?"

Her words were sharply sarcastic but the tone was intimately affectionate. Bobby, equally affected, bussed a quick kiss to a sensitive earlobe and took the opportunity to let Alex's delectably petite body drift down his hyper-aware frame until her feet found purchase on the parquet floor by the entrance.

"It was… you were… t… too much to resist, Alex." he breathed into the same ear he'd just anointed with his lips.

Alex's knees all but melted, "Okay… you win Bobby. You truly know how to make a woman feel like a woman… in three easy steps!" Needing a little distance to momentarily dilute the Bobby Effect, Alex moved as if to break away from Bobby, intending to head for the kitchen.

Snagging her arm, Bobby reeled her back in. "Not _a _woman, Alex, _my_ woman… the _only_ woman." Feeling undeniably possessive, given the newness of their relationship, Bobby was keen to stake a claim and let Alex know exactly where she stood. She was right, they had a right to be happy. And this moment cemented the fact.

He skimmed his hand over her elbow and down her forearm and slid his hand into hers to encourage her to follow his lead to her extremely tasteful and comfortable (if too short for him!) sofa, and issued a challenge of his own, unkknowingly echoing her earlier thoughts. "Now that you have me here, Detective Eames, what do you plan to do with me?"

A wicked grin bloomed on Alex's face and pure devilment lit her eyes. With a definite pout and the scrape of one carefully manicured fingernail along his jaw, she purred, "I've always had a thing for baseball metaphors. Wanna neck a little, Detective Goren? Take a tour of the bases?"

'_Bases? As in more than one?' _Bobby's internal teenager stood firmly to attention and saluted. '_I get to make out with my girlfriend and there's not a parent in sight.' _God! This felt like date night used to feel before being life as a grownup intruded.

"Define 'neck a little'…?" Bobby requested, one hand unconsciously moulding the back of his neck.

Arching an illustrative eyebrow, Alex swiftly rejoined, "Do I have to draw you a map, Goren?" By now, her hands were firmly on her hips and she was looking just a tad peeved.

"I just… I don't want to cross any lines here. I guess I'm not exactly up on current dating etiquette and… lets face it Alex, I don't want to piss you off."

"The only way you could piss me of this minute Bobby, is by staying where you are whilst I'm enjoying the comfort of this sofa." Taking a seat, Alex held a hand out to Bobby, in silent invitation. Unable to resist her unspoken entreaty, he enveloped the hand she offered and took the seat next to his temptation. "I… I need you so much, Alex. But as much as I want you, I also want _this_. I want the anticipation, the enjoyment and the discovery of learning what it means to be together like this…"

Shushing him with a well-placed finger on his fabulously eloquent lips, Alex finished the sentiment for him. "Well, I guess you definitely learned how to ask for what you want. I get it, Bobby. We should pace ourselves. Take time to enjoy each other. So long as we make sure we talk to each other, ask how the other's doing and take it a little slower, we'll be fine. I hear anticipation's good for the soul."

With a mischievously impish grin, Alex hopped from her perch on the sofa to a far more rewarding seat… Bobby's lap. Enjoying the element of surprise generated by her swift move, Alex leaned in nice and close, running her fingers through his tousled salt and pepper curls and enjoyed the reflexive action of his arms automatically enclosing her, securing her to him without conscious thought.

"So back to those bases… impress me, Bobby… what can Encyclopaedia Goren tell me about the ancient art of… French kissing?"

Bobby canted his head left, apparently seriously considering her request, "You once told me the problem with men is that they talk too much. I'd much rather 'Show' than 'Tell', Alex… but I'm. Happy. To. Elucidate." These last words punctuated by fast, hard, powerful kisses; leaving Alex breathless all over again. Gently tracing her lips, his tongue sought hers. Thrust and parry, stroke and glide. Alternately gentle and demanding. Seeking the line of her teeth, the arch of her mouth, the full length of her tongue in one sinuously erotic tempting twist of his.

Alex reciprocated gladly, enthralled and enticed by the sheer heat generated between them, coquettishly encouraging and echoing his deeply passionate response to their combined exploration.

Bobby paused, took a restorative breath… and immediately launched into discourse on the art of French kissing… "In England they call it a 'snog';… in China 'shiwen'…" Trailing off, distracted by the lure of Alex's receptive mouth, he changed the angle and depth of their connection, tilting her gently over the strong arm supporting her back, cupping a warm palm along her cheek and into her fine-spun hair… and there they continued, the epitome of Rodin's 'Kiss'… Pausing minutely for emphasis, Bobby continued with a further detail, illustrated by a string of the tiniest of kisses along the sensitive arch of her throat, "The record for the longest French kiss is held by…"

Lightly groaning in resignation, Alex took a moment to murmur affectionately in supplication, "I've always wanted to say this… shut up and kiss me, Bobby!"

Alex seized tufts of the curls she'd formerly run nimble fingers through, and using her strength to her own advantage, moved his agile mouth back to exactly where she needed it. On hers…

Taking advantage of her secure perch, Alex ran enquiring hands over his strong shoulders, moulding the muscles flexing along his spine, dipping to trace ever decreasing circles in the small of his back, edging lower, enjoying the tactile sensation of touching her lover… he was that regardless of their mutual agreement to take things at a slower, more enjoyable – if frustrating - pace. Briefly, her inner angel surfaced to parry with her outer devil… _'Alexandra Eames! Remember, top half only…'_

Bobby, distracted by her wandering hands, began to emulate her movements. Tracing her elegant neck, skimming his fingers over porcelain fine shoulders… dancing along her collar bone… dipping into the shadowed 'v' between her… _'Hey, Goren… Goren, hey!… quit that… back up, buddy…' _Hastily, he pulled his enquiring fingers from temptation's reach… only for Alex to drag them back again… eager to feel him touching her _there_, to feel his elegant hands on her

"It's okay, Bobby… all the kids are doing it these days… wouldn't be first base if you didn't…" Humour her standard defence, Alex used it to hide the need feeling his fingers so close to her breasts had instantly generated. Arching her spine, she wantonly offered that which he sought.

Dipping tentatively into the shadowed 'v' once more, he traced the edge of her black v-necked sweater vest, using just the edge of a fingernail to lightly scrape the sensitive flesh below. His keen chocolate eyes met limpid hazel, seeking agreement and approval of his actions. In answer, Alex clenched the hand at the base of his spine, gripping and crumpling his shirt in her fist… and dragged the material from the grip of his waistband, baring his flushed, fevered skin to the cooler air of the living room. Replacing Italian linen with the sleek smoothness of her palm, she resumed tracing minute concentric circlets on his skin with lightly callused fingertips… the sensation causing a ripple of awareness to shimmy up his spine, frying his brain and sending a million red hot alerts southwards.

Finding the approval he sought, Bobby braved moulding an all encompassing hand to her firm yet supple flesh, marvelling how his hand inevitably dwarfed her… yet she felt absolutely perfect to him. Growling at the barrier of her clothing, and emboldened by the feel of her petite fingers tormenting him magically beneath his shirt, he moved to trace her contours within the confines of her clothes, pushing aside the neckline of her vest and the scantiness of her bra. Now he held Alex… and felt as overcome as a gauche teenager.

Breaking off their latest all encompassing embrace, they rested heated foreheads against each other, the better to absorb every nuance of sensation. Alex drew shuddering breaths as he palmed her softness… simply held her lightly, as if memorising every contour, touching… just barely… a thumb to the very tip. Rasping gently back and forth. The action igniting a sympathetic rhythm deep inside her. As hypnotising as a metronome and perfectly in time with her sweeps against the sensitive skin of his lower back, her slender fingers tracing and dipping occasionally lower to trace the line of his boxers, retreating quickly each time.

"Alex? If… uh… if we don't stop now… I'm not going to want to stop at all…"

Mentally shaking the lust-induced fog from her brain, Alex sighed, and reluctantly agreed, drawing her fingers from beneath his shirt with one last long defiant scrape of her nails against his skin, vengefully satisfied at the vulnerable shudder her actions induced. In turn, Bobby straightened and tucked until Alex looked virginally decent, and deliberately set her from him to prevent further enticement.

Leaning over, determinedly composing herself, Alex grabbed the remote. "So… the History Channel or National Geographic..? You get to choose since you're the chef du jour. I have the makings for Chicken Marsala in the 'fridge…?"

Smiling at her assumption that he'd cook for her, Bobby opted for National Geographic and an apron…

* * *

Bobby alighted the elevator with a defined spring in his step, portfolio in one hand and tall fancy mocha-latte coffees plus raspberry danish in the other. Alex's final instruction, as she'd pushed him determinedly out the door to a waiting cab with the words, "Slow means no sleepovers yet, Bobby." Still, he reminisced, there was a lot to be said for the goodnight kiss… or kisses.

Bobby dropped his portfolio on his desk, skirting round to deposit coffee and danish for Alex on her desk, firing up her computer in passing, expecting her to arrive any second.

Engrossed in his morning routine, collating messages, logging on, Bobby failed to notice an impassioned Logan bearing down on him. _'Okay, things to do today… chase the techs for video evidence, talk to the Super… trace the mail carrier… work out who's out to get my atten…'_

"What's the problem, Goren? One girl at a time not enough for you?" Logan snorted, _sotto voce_ so as not to attract the attention of everyone in the bullpen, sliding an arched brow and subtle tip of his head towards Alex's desk. "A word of advice; Keep your hands off _my_ partner." Mike stalked away, leaving a bemused Bobby clutching the florist's card he'd abruptly thrust at him.

Seconds later Bobby's cell chirped… his desk phone buzzed… and his laptop emitted the standard 'you have mail' ping. Besieged, not knowing what to tackle first, Bobby opted to answer his cell.

"Hey, Bobby." A sultry voice issued a soft salutation. "Thank you sooo much!"

Groping absently behind him, Bobby grasped the arm of his drab orange chair and sat… no… slumped heavily in it. "Wh… what for?" he countered, warily. A girlish giggle issued forth. "Why for the bouquet, of course! Just how many women have you sent flowers to today, Bobby?"

* * *

A/N: Hmm, wonder what's in store for Bobby now? Hope you enjoyed! Please… leave me your thoughts in a review!

A million thanks to Scripted Starlet for giving this chapter a most welcome once over. (Oooh, look! Another chapter of 'Fallout'...)

And to I-am-LMR for directing folk my way – let me return the favour! Go read her latest "The Other Side'. Finally, apologies for the long delay in updating… I promise to do better ;)


	4. Say It With Flowers

Disclaimer: They're still not mine. I promise to put them back unharmed.

_A/N A million thanks to Scripted Starlet for her enthusiastic encouragement and excellent Beta skills! Bless happenstance…_

_And Emily? I got the hint. There will be no tomatoes._

**Ch.4 Say it with Flowers**

'_Bobby Goren is the sweetest, most thoughtful, considerate… and sexiest guy in the galaxy!' _mused a smugly content Alex Eames. She'd rapidly upgraded him just this morning from _sexiest guy on the planet_, thanks to the early morning knock on her door. Viewing the picture she'd snapped earlier one more time, then flipping her cell phone closed, she skipped out of the elevator with a smile a mile wide plastered on her face.

_'And pretty much guaranteed to be the luckiest… so long as there's coffee and breakfast waiting for me!'_ Preoccupied with events of the morning and thoughts and promises of the potential in the evening to come, Alex rounded the corner into the bullpen, following the scent of coffee to her desk and seeking out Bobby. She had a few succinct words in mind for her Partner and was keen to deliver them… 

Bobby was sat at his desk in that vile orange chair he seemed to like so much, a seat he favoured mainly because he could fling himself backward to contemplate the ceiling when thinking… in total confidence it would hold him safe, she surmised. Failing to notice his unnatural stillness, Alex, determined to impart her thanks, crept behind him, bent ninety degrees at the waist in homage to the 'Goren Lean' and whispered in his right ear a breathy "Thank you, Bobby… they're absolutely gorgeous…"

Bobby jumped just about a million miles in the air, spinning his chair to face Alex, un-noticing that this left her in a rather compromising position; standing between his taut thighs, his strong legs stretched and angled either side of her. Still bent at the waist, her lips ended rather closer to his than any NYPD office protocol allowed. Temptation temporarily vacating their senses, they froze in suspended animation… 'til Alex snapped vertical… as Bobby vaulted back… respectful distance maintained. And subsequent office rumour quashed.

Bobby scrabbled to find the words, to pitch the apology she wasn't expecting, to maintain the bonhomie, the equilibrium they'd found in each other. But how to? _'How do I disappoint some one I… um… lo… um, care for? And how do I do it without incurring physical pain?' _A rueful note of humour in this last musing. Alex Eames packed a mean punch. And Bobby had no desire for anything other than pleasure from her touch. _'Begging's good… it could work. Or distraction…?'_ Honesty won. As it always would when it came to Alex.

"Oh, God. Alex, I… I'm sorry… It wasn't… I didn't… Um, they weren't from me, Eames." Chagrined and chastised, though the situation was not of his making, Bobby awkwardly gestured to the array of blooms decorating Wheeler's desk, all the while holding Alex's hazel gaze in divine supplication. _'I wish they were from me. You believe me? Don't you?'_

"Someone… ah, someone pre…pretended to be me and s…sent the flowers to you… and to Megan… and…"

"There are more? More… _flowers_?" Alex's eyebrows escalated to the heights she wished her voice could. Instead, she deliberately pitched her voice beyond the ears of those nearby, her voice dripping with icy disdain.

Sensing the onset of one of those difficult girlfriend/boyfriend interactions, Bobby's six foot four frame seemed to shrink exponentially, trying in vain to become invisible, determinedly ignoring the coaching voice in his head. _'Yeah, right, Goren – like that's gonna work!'_

Alex softened, attending to his empathetic entreaties. _'Bobby would never pull a trick like this, Alex. This is the guy who bent over backwards to create the best date you've ever been on.'_

Quietly, for his ears only, she soothed, "I believe you, Bobby. You want to take this to the conference room? You can tell me what the hell's been going on." She led the way to 'their' conference room, still decorated by the results of Bobby's mental workout yesterday. Door firmly closed, Alex turned to Bobby, surveying the stress and discomfort he wore like a tired, too-tight overcoat.

"Give it up, Bobby…" she demanded, in typically direct Alex-fashion.

"I didn't send you the flowers, Alex… but I wish I had, seeing how happy you were… and it's not that I _wouldn't _send you them!" He hurriedly interjected, "I just… flowers seem too anonymous for you…" Bobby drifted to a stop, his words inadequate for once.

"Stop with the apologies, Bobby. I'm not mad because you didn't send me the flowers. I'm mad at whoever is jerking you… and therefore me… around." Alex pointed an illustrative finger at herself, nailing him with a '_don't mess with me' _look. "And you have. Sent me flowers, I mean. The corsage, remember?"

Her arched eyebrow dared him not to. _'Note to self – Goren, you'd better remember birthdays and anniversaries or you're dead meat…'_

Regardless of the implied message, Bobby went for one more attempt at appeasement. A potentially foolhardy move, but he trusted his newfound knowledge of Alex. "Alex, the… the corsage I had m… made for you, I… I chose very carefully. I designed it to be as… as delicately strong and unique as you are. I wouldn't send you something as homogenous as a… a scentless bunch of flowers arranged by an anonymous hand…"

'_Damn that Bobby Goren!'_ It was just her luck to be dating a wordsmith. "That does it, Bobby!" Alex advanced as if furious. Bobby stood his ground, willing to take whatever punishment she meted. The 'punishment' he received was… enlightening and surprising, considering their surroundings. There was no other word for it… Alex goosed him. Right there. On the… In the conference room.

He couldn't help it. He laughed. As did Alex. "That's better." Alex smirked, and removed her hand reluctantly from temptation. _'Hmm, cute butt… Hey! Down Girl.' _"I told you I wasn't mad at you, Bobby. That little 'treat' is a just a hint. So, how many girls got flowers anyway?"

Bobby, understandably a little distracted, refocused and answered her succinctly. "Four. Including you. Wheeler you know about. And D… Denise, the DA's assistant and Rodgers."

At that last pronouncement, Alex chuckled. She couldn't help it. The idea of Dr. Elizabeth Rodgers's reaction to getting flowers from Bobby was hysterical. "Bobby… we have to go visit her. She's got to be either truly perplexed or going ballistic by now! You're like her worst nightmare as a date."

Bobby pretended to be mortally wounded by her assessment. But she was right. Rodgers could barely cope with him in her autopsy room, let alone on an evening out. His need to explore, to poke and prod and _experience_ appeared to disturb her. Bobby truly couldn't understand why. _'Alex doesn't mind. At least – not anymore. There was that one time she threatened to drop the kid – there and then…'_

"True. True. But I think you're missing the point here, Alex." Bobby neatly sidestepped, taking the heat off himself. "Wheeler, Denise, Rodgers… and you. Who's the odd one out?"

Alex thought for a moment. Four women. Four bunches of flowers. All connected in some way to Bobby. All delivered at the same time. All delivered to… "Oh Crap! The flowers came to my house! My house, Bobby! How the hell did they know where I live?"

"My concern exactly. Alex… the others… they all got delivered to their places of work. Easy enough to find out. But you… there's something personal there. Whoever it is… well… they've been watching not only me… but you. Us, probably. My car… your house…" By now, Bobby was pacing and rubbing that stress spot on the back of his neck.

Alex wished she had a similar move. She was feeling pretty stressed herself. Only just beginning to be comfortable in her own home again, the thought that someone had been watching, following was… downright creepy.

Bobby was quick to swear, "We'll get him, Alex. Whoever this is, we'll get him. I promise you."

"Yeah, well. I'll hold you to that. And it's supposed to be me reassuring you. After all, you're at the root of this situation." Alex gently reminded.

"Yeah, well.' mimicked Bobby, "He's gone too far. Using my friends and colleagues. Putting you at risk. Making you vulnerable is… unconscionable."

"I'm no more vulnerable in this as you are, Bobby. Are you forgetting it's you… and your career he targeted first?" Alex swiftly rejoined, determined Bobby not be swayed by her involvement.

"No…No. I…I haven't forgotten. Alex, I want to get Logan and Wheeler in on this with us? Get an independent perspective?" Bobby was keen to get a third opinion.

"I agree, Bobby. Perspective can't hurt. And if Wheeler got flowers from you, I bet Logan's gunning for your ass. Am I right?" Good. Alex's sass was back.

Bobby winced. "Yeah. He got me good this morning. Wanted to know whether one girl wasn't enough for me. And not to mess with his Partner."

"Ouch. That had to hurt. What did you say?" Alex cocked her head, coquettishly, the tiniest smirk gracing her lips.

"Not much. I was too busy being bombarded by Denise on my cell, the desk phone… e-mail. How do other men juggle multiple dates?" Bobby mused, a very slight note of admiration in his voice.

In response, Alex wryly cautioned, "Better hope you never try, Bobby. You want to fetch Logan and Wheeler in?"

"Uh, yeah. I'll… I'll go get them. And Ross, I guess." Bobby couldn't help the instinctive flicker of distrust that crossed his face. Sudden inspiration struck. He turned warm, hopeful, chocolate eyes to Alex. "Although… he likes you better…"

Pointing a finger in the direction of the Captain's office, Alex directed, "Go Bobby… you and Ross need to learn how to share and play nice."

He went.

* * *

Miffed Alex hadn't gone for it, he swung out of the conference room and made a beeline for Ross's office. Bobby much preferred interactions involving solutions, not problems. Anticipating yet another difficult conversation, he stepped decisively across the threshold. "Captain?" 

"What is it, Goren?" Ross, engrossed in the report at hand, looked over the top of the frames perched precariously on his nose, pinning Bobby with his precise gaze.

Bobby worked hard to keep it civil, knowing Alex would have his hide if he was anything other. She was right. As ever. He and the Captain needed to work on their communication. "Uh, there's been a… _development_ I think you need to know about. Could you, ah… could you meet us in the conference room? I'm bringing Logan and Wheeler in as well. It… well, it involves Alex and Megan now and I could do with an independent opinion in this…"

Ross heaved a sigh. How could a simple traffic ticket situation escalate to the point that two of his other Detectives needed to be involved? "I'll be along, Goren. Go muster the troops." Ross dismissed him summarily, heading for the conference room.

Bobby cautiously approached the other Detectives. Wheeler he wasn't worried about. She'd been mildly amused over the whole flowers thing and possibly a touch flattered, as far as he could tell. And she'd enjoyed the rise it had gotten out of her own Partner. Of course, she didn't yet know how she fit into the whole debacle. Things could change.

And Logan? A whole other kettle of fish. He had a reputation for punching first and asking questions later. Although they'd mostly got along since he transferred in from Staten Island, seeming to appreciate each other's strengths and mutely agreeing to ignore each other foibles, Bobby was aware of his rep. Not one for physical confrontations, preferring the power of verbal articulation over physical prowess, he preferred to keep their interactions cerebral. Logic dictated he tackle Wheeler first… hoping Logan would come with.

"Wheeler? Uh, Eames and I could do with your view on something. Could you join us?" Bobby attempted what Eames called his 'puppy dog look'. _'What the hell? Couldn't hurt, right?' _

Megan laughed, and sassed him back. "Aw, Goren – you didn't need to send me flowers to get me to help you out!" Tossing a grin over her left shoulder, she scooped up her coffee mug and headed to meet Alex. _'Great job, Goren… she's gonna hate you when she finds out the flowers aren't what she thinks.' _Mentally groaning, he turned to Mike.

Mike Logan snorted. Still glaring daggers at the audacity of Bobby, he smarted at the theft of his Partner without his permission. "Bobby, you cannot have more than one woman at a time, bud. _You _can't handle it. What did I tell you about keeping your hands off my Partner?"

"Logan, it's not what you think, so quit the Big Brother routine. We got a problem that's bigger than flowers."

By now, Logan was looking superiorly smug and grinning like a Cheshire cat. Raising an eyebrow, he smirked at Bobby, "Yeah? I heard about your love affair with the Chief of Traffic. Who'd you piss off this time?"

Bobby resumed the rubbing his neck thing. "Yeah, well if I knew who was orchestrating this little demonstration, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. Your Partner's gonna give us a hand. How about it?"

Mike pondered a moment. _Who was he to be a party pooper? And besides, the ride might be kinda interesting. _"Sure, Goren. I'll give you a hand. For Alex and Megan."

Bobby led the way. It wasn't a rousing endorsement, but it would do.

* * *

Alex had been busy. The new information about the deliveries was plastered on the whiteboard. She'd printed the pictures she'd taken of her bouquet and the card that came with it. Lifted the card from Megan's from Bobby's desk and posted it on the board. There was little hope of handwriting or fingerprint evidence. It looked like the sentiments had been dictated over the phone. Still, they might help when they spoke to the Florist. 

She turned at the knock as Ross, Wheeler, Logan and Bobby filed into the room. "Where do you want to start, Bobby?" Alex deferred. It was his tale to tell.

"You all know I've been uh… stiffed… for a load of traffic and parking violations? Eames and I worked out yesterday that someone has cloned the plates on my car, used an identical vehicle and incurred the tickets." He stopped a moment, gathering his thoughts.

As in tune as ever, Alex stepped up to the plate, ready to bat for Bobby. "You can see from the board; some days he didn't even have his car when the violation happened. I was driving. In the department SUV. It's a frame up. Who and why? That's why we've invited you in. With developments today, we're probably a little too close to the situation to see it all objectively." she wryly observed.

Bobby turned to Wheeler, hands out, palms up, in supplication. "The fl… flowers? They weren't from me." '_Woah, déja vu. Hadn't he had this conversation once today? No matter. Facts were Facts. And Facts were evidence.' _

Bobby continued,"Some one has been sending flowers on my behalf. To you, Eames, Denise from the DA's office and ME Rogers. All were delivered here to 1PP. Apart from Eames's. Those went to her home."

Alex expanded a little. "Means the little creep doing this has been following not just Bobby but me as well."

Ross, immediately concerned, but considerate of Alex's desire to retain control of her home surroundings, turned to his Senior Detective. "Eames? Do I need to arrange additional patrols past your place?"

Bobby made as if to agree, "Cap…" and was instantly quietened by Alex's hand on his arm, gently encouraging his silence. Well, the hand was gentle. The non-verbal slap from her sharp gaze not so.

Speaking for herself, Alex declined the suggestion. "Thanks for the offer, Captain. But no. Nothing about this perp indicates danger. It's all attention seeking stuff."

Somewhat mollified that Bobby had no interest in his Partner, and confident she was in no danger from the prankster, Logan interjected, "The flowers seem a juvenile prank, if you ask me."

Excitedly, Bobby pounced on this. "Yes. You're right, Logan. It does. Yet there's an element of sophistication as well. There's a… dichotomy. Fl…flowers are easy. Designed to generate attention. The tickets… well, the set up implies forethought and intelligence, yet a need to stay, uh, removed from the situation. Eames and I are going to hit up the Florist, the Super for my building and the Mail Carrier on my route. Maybe we'll get lucky, but I doubt it. Whoever it is doesn't want to be found until they're ready."

Distracted by the phrase 'Get lucky', Alex mentally shook her head and supportively interjected, "Then they're going to be very surprised when we ring their doorbell ahead of schedule."

Megan Wheeler, quietly observant until now, surprisingly unsurprised that the blooms weren't actually from Bobby, had been silently perusing the whiteboard. Stepping closer she studied one of the video stills from the cameras. "You sent this to the video techs for enhancement, right?"

Alex, catching her interest, answered, "Yes. Yesterday. They should have it ready in the next hour. Why?"

Staring thoughtfully at the picture of the rear of the SUV in the picture, Megan considered whether to show her hand. Then she shrugged a little, figuring it wouldn't hurt to play her cards a little close to her chest. Just in case. She could do without the ribbing from Logan _if_ she was wrong.

She deliberately downplayed her hunch. "I'd just like to take a close look at those videos and stills, if I can. It might be nothing. Could be something."

Alex frowned. Mike Logan grinned, used to his Partner's independent ways. Ross looked amused at the team interaction. It was interesting, watching the Detectives work out how to work together. Ross was pleased to see Megan taking the initiative. This just might turn out to be beneficial for everyone.

Bobby just looked… intrigued.

* * *

A/N What is Wheeler's hunch? What will the Super and the Mail Carrier say? Find out on the next instalment of 'All About Him'. 

In the meantime, please leave me a review with your thoughts and ideas. You know the drill. Thanks, Claire.


	5. A Hunch and a Margarita

Disclaimer: I checked. They're still not mine. I had to put them back.

A/N1: Thanks Alyssa & Emily (I-am-LMR) for virtual hugs and kicks up the a... behind to get moving on this story. Special thanks to Alyssa (Scripted Starlet) for patiently waiting with beta pen at the ready.

**Ch5. A Hunch and a Margarita.**

"Hey, Bobby? Where'd you buy your SUV?"

Perplexed, Bobby Goren momentarily took the phone from his ear and stared at it in confusion. Putting back to his ear, he queried "Logan?"

Sounding a tad frustrated, and none too happy to be doing Wheeler's grunt work, Logan bit out, "Yeah, yeah, it's me. So I ask you again, where'd you buy your car, man?"

To be honest, he wasn't entirely sure why he was asking anyway. He just knew Freckles had asked him to, then clammed up when he'd demanded to know what possible relevance the information could have. _But then, Bobby didn't need to know that he didn't know, now did he?_

"C'mon, Goren. Spit it out. Must be in that expansive brain of yours somewhere. Check the file draw under 'V' for vehicle..." Chuckling at his own lame attempt at a joke, he broke off, giving Bobby space to think.

_Where did I buy my car? Come on, Bobby, it's less than three years old! _To be honest, domestic things like this didn't register that well. He wasn't joking about making sure he remembered significant dates with Alex. "Uh, I g... got it at the Potamkin Mitsubishi dealership. 2nd Avenue, I think. Why?"

Logan snorted. "Damned if I know. The kid wants it. Somethin' to do with the hunch she's playin', I guess. You'll know when **I** know." On that note, Logan ended the call, leaving Bobby none the wiser. Bemused, he slipped his cell into his jacket pocket.

_Still, no time to dwell on it, _he mused_. Gotta get these interviews done. _He and Alex had grabbed a deli sandwich on the run and were currently on the way to the Florists, having visited the ME's office on the way down from the 11th floor at 1PP.

Bobby shuddered involuntarily at the all too vivid memories of that particular interaction. One that Alex had taken far too much gleeful interest and enjoyment in. He glanced at Alex, who was currently feigning rapt attention to the traffic and failing miserably at hiding her amusement.

Dr Elizabeth Rodgers had not been gentle with him. Alex's acerbic wit he could handle. Rodgers? There was something drier that the driest of dry martinis whenever Bobby got in shooting range. The wounds were still raw; he admitted he'd ended up as road kill. God knows, he'd be having flashbacks to that conversation for a while. Bobby winced. S_hoot, here comes one now._

* * *

Earlier at The M.E's Office, 1PP... 

Dr. Elizabeth Rodgers countenance was as cold as her morgue. Her tone icily perfunctory. "Can I help you, Detective?" Pointedly addressing only Alex; determinedly ignoring Bobby.

Alex swallowed a smirk, schooling her expression into a composed mask. She was going to enjoy every second of this. Her being unable to be annoyed with Bobby for not sending her flowers didn't mean she couldn't enjoy the spectacle of him receiving a dressing down from her suddenly favourite M.E.

"Hi, Doc. Yeah, we need... or rather Bobby needs to ask you about the flowers you received this morning. Don't you, Bobby?" Alex couldn't resist a little smirk at the simplicity of her ploy to facilitate the conversation. It wouldn't do to keep this little tête-à-tête all to herself. Not when there was entertainment to be had.

"I'm sure **Detective** Goren already knows all he needs to about his little endowment!" the prickly M.E. sharply retorted, still refusing to acknowledge his presence.

_Geez, _thought Bobby_, since when did flowers constitute an offensive weapon and why am I on the defensive when I didn't even send the damn things?_ Catching Alex's eye, he turned a baleful look her way and switched on 'kicked-puppy face'. _What the hell, it had sort of worked with Wheeler, right? And Rodgers was a woman, right? Right? _He had his doubts.

Ignoring Alex's enjoyment at his predicament, Bobby attempted to placate Elizabeth. "I... I'm really very sorry, Dr. Rodgers, I'm... I'm afraid I didn't send you any flowers."

Dr. Rodgers blew cinnamon bangs away from her eyes and tilted her head back, gazing at the ceiling as if searching for divine intervention, tuning out his explanation.

"Irrespective of that, the damage is done, Detective." Lowering her head, she nailed him with a direct, intimidating, eyeball to eyeball, gutsy stare. No wavering, no backing down.

Bobby swallowed, hard, Adam's apple bobbing twenty to the dozen, confused by her animosity and perplexed at this simple, yet complex and loaded statement.

"Damage? Tell me the costs and I p... promise... I'll do my best to make it right." Bobby's talking hands backed up his statement as they extended forward into the no-man's land between the battle lines, entreating forgiveness. Alex sniggered audibly, enthralled by the show and the two protagonists; too engrossed to pay her even scant attention.

"Thanks to **you**, Detective, every cop, CSI, lab tech and a myriad of other specimens of excuses for humanity seem to have decided I'm fair game for gossip and... other things."

Dr. Rodgers shuddered at the variety and inventiveness of the offers she'd received so far. "Apparently, being courted by the Wunderkind gives the green light to every weirdo in this place. So, so once again... thank you, Detective."

Bobby was certain he detected a modicum of sarcasm in her remarks. Alex was certain of it. Icy disdain had nothing on a peeved Dr. Rodgers. _Damn, the woman could give her lessons_, Alex concluded admiringly_. She had a newfound respect for her sister in snark._

"So, what's the excuse, Goren? You get tired of all the innuendo about you and your partner? Did you think it was time to broaden your horizons? Cast your net a little wider?" arching an eyebrow, she shot salvo after salvo at a for once speechless Bobby.

"Because I have to say. You and me? Not going to happen in a million years! And stop looking at me like 'little boy lost'. We both know you're nothing of the sort!"

Mouth opening and closing like the proverbial fish, Bobby sought for something clever to say... and failed. Fast retorts were Alex's forte and he knew it. Meekly, he turned to Alex, his look entreating her to help him out of a hole someone else had dug for him.

Alex silently acknowledged him and opened her mouth to speak. Bobby relaxed immeasurably, confident his Partner would defend him to the hilt.

"Dr.Rodgers, I think I should tell you that you weren't the only one to receive flowers."

Bobby gulped and gaped. This was Alex 'helping'? He winced. God help him.

Ice blue eyes bored through him. A voice already cold became immeasurably frosted.

"Your charm and good manners will not win you favours here, Detective. If you want to retain your exclusive privileges to 'examine'... and by examine, I mean prod, poke and sniff... and even occasionally... God help me..." the seasoned Medical Examiner visibly flinched, "..._taste_ your victims... you will make this go away!"

* * *

Bobby had managed to placate her eventually, once Alex stopped stoking the flames. Calmly and rationally they'd explained the situation Bobby had found himself at the centre of, leaving a somewhat mollified, if not entirely satisfied Dr. Rodgers behind. 

He was still working on forgiving Alex for throwing him to that red headed she-wolf.

A punishment he would extract later. Truthfully, he couldn't blame her for enjoying Dr. Rodgers reaction. And he'd escaped largely intact and a little chastised. Alex would pay. He parked his ire for the moment.

Shaking the memories, Bobby turned his attentions to their next destination, the Florists. He opened his ever present portfolio, skimming his copious copperplate notes, recalling the details about each and every delivery.

"Alex? What do you think about the message on the cards? It was the same on all of them."

Bobby read it aloud from the card on Wheeler's flowers... _"It's my hypothesis that you're the answer to my millennia of problems."_

Alex mused a moment. "I just thought it a 'Bobby' way to say..." Alex trailed off, a little embarrassed at how she'd chosen to interpret the esoteric phraseology, and chose to concentrate on steering the SUV through the early afternoon traffic.

Bobby tilted his head to one-side and regarded her quizzically. "To say what, Alex?" he enquired.

Squirming in the driver's seat, Alex mumbled a reply.

"What did you say?"

Alex mumbled a little louder, "I said... I thought you meant that you thought I was the one who would help you through all your trials. You know... your Brother, your Mom. That you would be inviting me in." Alex stared determinedly ahead at the bustling traffic, ignoring the dull flush climbing the paleness of her elegant neck, not acknowledging Bobby's watchful eyes.

Bobby swallowed past the sudden lump in his throat. Quietly, he demanded "Pull over."

"What?" Confused, Alex swivelled to catch his gaze. There was nothing to stop for here.

Purposefully, he softly repeated; "Pull over. Please, Alex?"

Catching the serious warmth in his eyes, she complied, pulling to the kerb at the closest available point. It was a quiet spot.

Bobby released his own seatbelt and hers. Gently, he cupped her chin, tipping her face towards him. Wryly, he chuckled "We seem to be making a habit of meaningful moments in this car."

Alex smiled tremulously, a little unsure of his reason for asking her to pull over and waited in trepidation.

"I'm not used to having someone to depend on, Alex."

Affronted at his apparent dismissal of their last six years of supporting each other, Alex hotly interjected, "What the hell have I been doing for the last six years, Bobby?"

Hurriedly, he rushed to appease and explain. "I know I can depend on you at work. What I'm learning to do is depend on you, to invite you in, outside the job. And for me, you are the support to many of my problems. It's all new for me, having a 'you'."

Leaning into her, Bobby chose to celebrate the newness with a kiss. The large warm hand cupping her chin moved to gently cup and mould her head, supporting and tilting her to meet him at the perfect angle to induce bliss. His lips, warm and dry, moved softly, gently over hers. Not probing, nor seeking entry, simply meeting, moulding, nibbling and outlining her own.

Alex soughed a warm breath and parted eager lips, the tip of her tongue entreating a deeper possession. Bobby needed no greater persuasion. He deepened the kiss into a worshipful, passionate homage to the best thing in his life.

Alex inspired him to be the best he could be. _And, damn, _thought Alex_, his best is overwhelming. _Parrying his thrusts with forays of her own, Alex drank him in. Kisses sweet and satisfying became heated and demanding. Stealing and sharing as much as they could, they took and gave in alternate measures, one from the other and back again.

Alex moved a hand to tug at his tie at the same moment his slipped beneath her shirt to draw tempting little patterns low on her stomach. Ripples of tiny exquisite contractions danced in the wake of his fingers. Drawing a sharp intake of breath, she pulled away from the hypnotic goodness of his talented tongue. "Bobby..."

"Mumph...?" he murmured incoherently, lips desperately seeking hers, even as she reluctantly drew back. Intent on prolonging their mutual pleasure, his hand attempted to dip just a little lower into her pants, flicking the button open, pushing the zipper southwards, scraping the tip of a blunt-edged finger along and inside the ruched edge of her panties, whilst his agile mouth continued to work his brand of miracle on the sensitive arch of her neck.

Alex clamped her hand on his, preventing his exploration and dextrous ministrations. "Bobby, as much as I'm enjoying this, it's not exactly how I pictured visiting another base with you!" She gestured to the folk walking past the car, unaware of the spectacle behind the tinted windows.

Reluctantly, Bobby removed his talented hand and with a further series of soft, gentle kisses pressed lightly along the sweep of her neck and jaw, he righted her clothing and retreated to his side of the car. Willing his not so little problem into reluctant submission.

"You... You're right, Alex." With a rueful grin, he offered a salve to sooth tautened nerves.

"Rain check? Tonight?"

Alex leaned forward for one last kiss and caress. "Yes, Bobby. Tonight. You owe me a margarita, remember?"

* * *

The florists had been a bust. The orders had been phoned in at the same time, the same message in four different floral arrangements, selected by the Florist. They had no caller ID and the clerk thought the guy had been ringing from a payphone. At least they had the sales slip to trace the credit card. Bobby phoned the details in. They'd get the follow-up from the financial unit in a day or so. It was frustrating. 

Alex parked the SUV outside Bobby's building in the designated visitor space. Their final stop of the afternoon was to interview the Super and get hold of any surveillance tapes, such as they were. Alex hoped it wasn't one of those buildings where they figured having a Cop as a tenant meant that a few bucks could be saved on surveilling the common areas. It was an all too common assumption that a Cop was better value than decent security.

Bobby led the way, unlocking the front door with keys dug deep from his pockets. Opening the door, he stood to the side to escort her in. It was the little things that made a woman feel treasured. His Mom had taught him this well.

Alex, as familiar with the layout of his building as was with her home, led the way to the Super's apartment there on the ground floor. Mr. Alessi had been the Super for as long as she could remember. He knew her as well as he knew Bobby.

He answered at the first knock. "Detectives, welcome, welcome. Come in. Thank you for ringing ahead. Mama has a little something for you in the parlour. Come. Sit"

Italian hospitality at its best, for all Guests must be fed and watered. Alex smelled nirvana. Coffee. Italian dark roast espresso. And something deliciously sweet. Blindly following the scent, she greeted Mrs. Alessi, Bobby close on her heels.

Tiny cannulicchi, no bigger than Bobby's index finger, crisply perfect and filled with sweet pistachio cream were laid out on an old fashioned cake plate; the best china saved for family. They counted Bobby as such, even if he couldn't see it.

Alex left the conversation to her Partner, choosing small talk with Mrs. Alessi and dessert. She reached for a pastry, eyeing the oozing cream. With the very tip of her tongue, she captured the sweet concoction and savoured the flavour, eyes drifting closed in guilty pleasure.

Bobby caught Alex's response to the sumptuous pastry out of the corner of his eye. Suppressing a frustrated groan at the unintentionally erotic display, Bobby determinedly refocused on his effusive Super's promises to fetch the required tapes, thanking him and praying for a speedy exit. His libido could only take so much, his fuse as combustible as a tinder box; Alex, the match.

With Mr. Alessi fetching the tapes and Mrs. Alessi prattling endlessly about her 'Good Boy, Vincenzo...' Bobby was free to act the voyeur. Alex, on her second pastry, noted his interest and chose to fan the flames a little. Her nimble tongue savoured, licked, swiped at the cream from each end of the biscuity tube.

When she could no longer reach the sweet filling by probing deeply with her tongue, she wrapped her agile lips firmly round one end and... sucked. Slowly, deliberately, deliciously, rolling the fragile cylinder this way and that between nimble fingers.

It was as much as Bobby could do to maintain basic civility. He wanted. Now.

Serendipity smiled from above. Mr. Alessi bustled in with the tapes. Bobby jumped from his perch, seizing the tapes and, thanking Mr and Mrs. Alessi profusely for their hospitality took Alex's elbow to propel her firmly from the apartment. A determined Mrs. Alessi followed obliviously, pressing further treats, safely wrapped, into his hands.

Bobby was holding on to his control by a very tenuous thread. _Jesus, Goren... you're being controlled by pastry now? Get a grip._ He mentally dismissed his disparaging inner coach. He'd be happy to get a grip any moment. He knew exactly what he wanted to hold.

Alex smiled with the satisfaction born of centuries of female awareness, secure in the knowledge that she could so easily breach his defences.

Bobby thrust out one long arm, forcing the elevator doors to open and walked them into the car. Alex reached out, depressing the door open button, temporarily halting their progress. Wordlessly, they sought permission and acceptance in each other's gaze. And found it. Smiling, anticipating, she firmly pressed the corresponding number to his floor.

* * *

Meanwhile, at 1PP... 

'Look closer, Logan… see? It's not there." Mike squinted, cursing the grainy screen and rubbed his gritty, not so young eyes. It seemed they'd been looking at stills and videos for hours. Damning the frailties of age, he leaned a little closed to the screen. The still had been magnified from the original video and enhanced to the best of the techs abilities. It was pretty clear. And pretty damning.

Focusing where her finger pointed, he concentrated on that one spot. She was right. Mike schooled his features deliberately; careful not to let the youngster know she'd done good. Really good. Damned if he didn't feel just a little proud.

Bobby was going to be impressed and he knew Megan would appreciate it more, hearing it from Bobby. Hearing it from Mike? Mentally choking off a derisive laugh, Mike summed it up succinctly. _Nah, she'd run a mile before she'd admit seeking approval from him._

"And Logan? There's something else there instead. I think it just might help us find this vehicle." Self-satisfaction screened her face, the merest pink tinge, high colour on freckled cheeks a distinct blush of success. Megan knew she'd found a weakness in the culprits' carefully camouflaged subterfuge.

Logan considered the evidence before him. "Wheeler, you may just have saved Bobby's bacon here. You want to call him, or should I? It's your break, kid."

For once, Megan didn't smart from his somewhat irreverent, overly familiar way of addressing her. She knew he knew she'd caught them a break. And she was willing to ride the tide of goodwill all the way. Throwing him a sassy grin, she held his gaze knowingly, as she flipped open her cell and speed-dialled Bobby. "Goren… it's Wheeler. You okay? Yeah, yeah, we're fine. Listen, I got something here you're going to want to see."

Wheeler listened to the other Detective's response, with a slightly confused expression and flipped her cell shut. Mike couldn't resist. "Well? What did he have to say?"

Megan, still perplexed, relayed the other end of the conversation. "Said they'd be right over. Sounded a little distracted though. I hope he thinks it's worth dropping whatever they're following up on to come on in and see this."

* * *

Bobby dropped his forehead to the coolness of the wooden veneer of his apartment door. "Damn! Wha… Whatever she's got better be worth it… worth missing out on this for." 

Alex couldn't agree more. She'd heard every word of their conversation. Kind of hard not to, considering she'd apparently been attempting nuclear fusion with Bobby when his cell phone chirped merrily...

Frustrated, she dropped her head to his chest. Together, they gulped vital air, willing unwilling bodies to co-operate, banking passion and desire. Alex, the first to recover her sensibilities, gently grasped his hand, leading him meekly towards the elevator.

"C'mon, Bobby. Sooner we go talk to them, the sooner you get to buy me that margarita."

Pausing to press a last searching kiss to his amazing mouth, she smiled promisingly and issued an edict, "And Bobby? Hold that thought. It has... possibilities."

* * *

A/N Next time on 'All About Him'..._ 'Who knew a game of pool had erotic potential? mused Alex.'_

I've discovered reviews really do give me the impetus to update! Please, press the little blue button and let me know what you think. Thanks so much, Claire.


	6. Hustle

Disclaimer: If they were mine, there would possibly be more of this...;)

A/N: Thanks, Alyssa (Scripted Starlet) for all the transatlantic cyber hugs and for speedily applying your beta pen at short notice. And to LMR for cheering me up with perky little stories like 'The Misadventures of Squeaky...' and 'Just another stupid CI fanfic...'

Thanks so much to everyone who reviews and reads! It makes my day.

**Ch6. Hustle**

"Bobby? You have to come out now..."

_Strange, that line felt kinda familiar. _Alex mentally shrugged, writing it off to déjà vu. Sliding from the SUV, Alex slammed her door shut and, skirting the hood, popped open the passenger side door, extending Bobby a courtesy he'd so often shown her.

Bobby groaned, resting his head on the headrest, and contemplated the fine weave of the material on interior of the vehicle's roof. Mentally willing his recalcitrant appendage to behave itself, he counted prime numbers, recited past presidents' names and thought about anything but cannulicchi.

And regretted the very instant the word passed over his brain's synapses. Talk about the elephant in the room. Go on, try it now. Don't think about giraffes. See?

Alex smiled gently at her Partner, correctly interpreting the source of his... discomfort. "Come on, Bobby. Megan's waiting. Plus Logan and Ross..."

Ah, Ross. Unerringly, Alex hit on the one topic sure to drive the most enthusiastic libido into abeyance. Grimacing, Bobby scooped up his portfolio and, handing the plate of covered treats from Mrs. Alessi to Alex, swung his legs from the vehicle.

"Look, Bobby, the sooner we touch base here; the sooner we can go do something else with bases elsewhere. Capice?" With a swing of her hip, she bumped the car door shut, locking it with a carefree wave of the remote over her left shoulder. Striding purposefully, she made short work of the distance to the elevator, anticipating Bobby would be in her wake.

And he was. After a fashion. Just as soon as his brain and his legs decided to co-operate, he'd be right behind her. Yep. Right behind.

* * *

Alex vacated the elevator on the 11th Floor and took a detour into the break room for coffee to go with the treats, scooping up serviettes to cope with the mess at the same time. Bobby, fuelled with a new purpose, relieved her of the pastries and made his way to the conference room. He figured an hour. Tops. And they'd be out of there. 

It felt weird to be planning to leave work on time. He thanked the Lord for Alex and his newfound perspective on life. Finally, he'd get that work-life balance Ross was always carping on about. Even the frustration of the case couldn't keep the bounce out of his step, or the smile from his lips.

Swinging open the conference room door, he interrupted the intense conversation between his two fellow officers. "Hey, Logan? Wheeler? Our day's been a bust. Wh... What do you have?"

Alex followed Bobby into the room, with Captain Ross close on her heels. Depositing coffee for all on the table, she un-wrapped the pastries Bobby had deposited there. Willing them not to be cannulicchi, for both their sakes, she was relieved to reveal miniature pasticciotti. Impossibly delicate, sumptuously delicious Italian cream puffs filled with fresh lemon custard.

Slapping Logan's hand as he reached for a delicacy, Alex handed round serviettes and coffee then offered the plate to everyone in turn... leaving Logan 'till last. Grumpily, Logan interjected, "Not so fast, Goren. Let's hear what you've been up to."

He couldn't help it. Being contrary was firmly embedded in his nature. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to string Bobby along a minute and build Megan up a little. Catching his Partner's eye, he sought her consent. Okay, so they didn't have the spooky telepathy of Goren and Eames, but it worked pretty well... most of the time.

Wheeler caught his not so subtle attempt at Partner to Partner communication and nodded her assent round a mouthful of Italian creamy goodness. _Laps... ten more laps of the circuit at the gym for this..._

Ross, keen to get an update on the case involving his key Detectives, added his demand in support of Logan. "Goren, I'm interested to hear what you've gleaned from today's outings. Although, I distinctly remember asking your Senior Partner to keep me updated."

Alex felt no guilt at the pointed reminder. Their Partnership came first and always would. Resisting the juvenile temptation to stick out her tongue at her boss, she directed it instead at a pastry, leaving Bobby to elucidate on the day's disappointments.

Sliding his hands into his pockets beneath his buttoned jacket, Bobby moved over to the whiteboard and, head tilted in contemplation, regarded the wealth of non-information stuck in various formats to its width. Post-it notes, pictures, cards from florists, prints from speed cameras – all documenting the determined efforts of some person, or persons, desperate for his attention. He wondered whom he could have had such an effect on that they would choose this as a means to get in touch with him. _Hmm, maybe that's the key? There's something amongst this plethora of information that only I'm meant to get the meaning of...that will mean something only to me._

Almost absently, he began recounting the tale of the fruitless visits to the Florists, his eye roving restlessly over the cards attached to the board. As his voice related the sparse details, his mind worked on the message on the cards...

"_It's my hypothesis that you're the answer to my millennia of problems."_

_Ther... there's something... on the tip of my brain... nope... it's gone again! _Frustrated in his inability to summon the tidbit of information to the forefront, he abandoned the attempts. _I... I'll let my left brain work on it a while. It'll come. It WILL come._

Returning his full attention to the others, he finished the dismal tale of the Florists. "So... basically, all the flowers were paid for with the same card... we... I, uh, rang it through to the Financial Unit. We should get details back tomorrow. And I'm waiting for the mail carrier to ring when he gets off shift."

Alex shrugged her agreement at his synopsis of their morning efforts. Swiping a little cream from the corner of her mouth, she slowly sucked it off her finger, holding Bobby's gaze for a heated moment. She kinda enjoyed watching his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed convulsively. With a sweet smile, she entreated, "Bobby, why don't you tell our fellow officers about your little visit with our favourite ME?"

Bobby flushed crimson and shot a reproachful look at his Partner. She really would pay for this. Divine retribution would follow.

Logan couldn't hold back a full-throated laugh. "Uh-oh... what have you been doing to Rodgers? Man, you know she has it in for you, don't ya?"

Wheeler watched the little tableau playing out before her avidly, devouring a second pastry. Ross just smiled, quietly, enjoying his most complex Detective being on the back foot for once.

Logan switched his attention to Alex. "So, Doll. Tell me what our very own bright boy did to the lovely Elizabeth?"

Bristling at the term 'Doll', Alex shot him a patented 'Do ya wanna leave this room with both of 'em, Logan?' look. It just rolled of him... water off a duck's back. He'd been on the receiving end too often for it to have any great effect any longer. His inner voice cautioned, _'Hey, Mike... it's Alex, ya know? Tread lightly, Buddy." _Wheeler arched an eyebrow at the high-school antics, taking mental notes for later. It never hurt to have another tactic up her sleeve for Mike-control.

"Well..." Drawing out every syllable, she made the most of it. "Bobby made a new best friend today... not!"

Bobby groaned. Crossing his arms, he rested an elbow on one arm and covered his eyes with the other. It was like watching a car-crash in super slow-motion. With him in the middle.

"It turns out that... as a result of Bobby's little gift... bestowed completely without his prior knowledge, if course... our dear ME has been the recipient of several unsolicited and varied offers. Some, shall we say, less than savoury. She's less than impressed with the 'Wunderkind."

Turning to Bobby, she pried his fingers from his pained eyes. "C'mon, Goren. Tell everyone what she threatened if you didn't set the story straight..."

Bobby reluctantly surveyed the expectant people before him... and one supremely smug Detective First Grade Alexandra Eames. _Yep. Definitely gonna pay._ Mumbling a response, he said "She threatened to revoke my morgue privileges... and to make me stand back from the body at a crime scene..." He shuddered at how close he'd come to his special treats being revoked.

That did it. The room erupted in much needed, cathartic laughter. Wheeler giggled as Ross laughed. Mike Logan corpsed, collapsing into a chair at the table.

"Ah, Bobby. How that must have pained you! Priceless, she's absolutely priceless. Gotta love that New York wit, eh?"

Bobby heaved a long suffering sigh and, turning to Alex, pointedly suggested, "Eames... I... I think it's time we looked at those security tapes?"

Wiping merry tears, she hastily concurred. A girl could only push her luck so far.

* * *

"Damn." The expletive rent the air in the conference room. Logan tossed the remote he'd been zooming back and forth with for the past hour or so onto the table, in frustration. "These tapes are a bust, as well!" 

The other Detectives had also drawn a blank on the security footage from Bobby's apartment building. All showed a tall, skinny non-descript young guy ghosting in on the heels of other tenants, raiding Bobby's post box three or so days in a row. The image wasn't good enough for anything close to an ID.

Megan Wheeler was over the whole 'indulge me' thing her Partner had started earlier.

"How 'bout we ring the changes, huh, Logan?"

Stepping up to the video unit, she slipped in the tape she'd been working on earlier. Making a 'be my guest' motion, Mike stepped to one side, allowing her those fabled fifteen minutes of fame. Ross, a passive observer to this point, straightened from his casual pose against the wall, eager to see what insights the newest member of his elite squad could offer.

Eagerly, Bobby and Alex crowded round the VCR, the better to see the source of their earlier disruption. Logan hung to the rear, already aware of the contents of the tape. This was Wheeler's moment.

Cueing the video tape, she first played the original recording of 'Bobby's' SUV speeding away from a stop sign. "Notice anything about that vehicle, Bobby?"

Bewildered, Bobby looked closely. "No... Nope. Looks exactly like mine. Alex?"

"Nothing. Looks identical. Why? What did you get? Come on, Megan. Spill it?" Alex rounded on Wheeler, her body a bundle of curiosity.

Logan grinned as the two Detectives entreated her to speed up her reveal. Ross merely stepped a little closer, the better to observe.

Wheeler removed the original tape and, turning to the laptop on the table, slipped in the enhanced DVD supplied by the video enhancement techs into the computer's disc drive, setting the movie up to play.

At first it played just like the original tape, only sharper. Disappointed, Bobby edged closer, trying to identify what Megan was getting at. "Try looking for something that shouldn't be there instead of trying to match everything that should," she suggested.

Logan chuckled at the confused looks on both their faces. Taking pity, he prompted Wheeler to focus in a little. "Come on, Wheeler. Take pity on your elders and betters... crank up the zoom a little."

Smiling at his antics, she did as he bid. Not her usual reaction to instruction from her partner, but it suited her purposes this time around.

The back of the doppelganger SUV came into sharp focus. Unerringly, she focused on the rear window of the vehicle, bringing it closer... closer... closer...

Alex, the first to react, started and leaned even closer. "Wait... isn't that...?" Looking to Wheeler for confirmation, she was pleased to see the young Detective happily concur.

"Bobby – look! It's a car rental sticker." Reading for the benefit of the audience, she intoned, "National Car Rentals, La Guardia. Bobby, that's something your car doesn't have."

Smiling wide, Bobby slung an arm round Wheeler's shoulders, pulling her to him in a half-hug. "So th... that's why you wanted to know where I bought my car? S... so you could look for something that wasn't there?"

Ross matched Bobby, grin for grin. "Well done, Wheeler. Good observation." He was very pleased with his protégé. Tired by now of the mutual congratulations, yet absurdly pleased his partner had had the opportunity to showcase her skills, Mike couldn't help but bring her down off her natural high.

"Hey, whadd'ya know? Freckles caught us a break!" Logan dodged the balled-up serviette she lobbed his way.

Bobby, busy thinking, missed this last exchange. Ross, deciding hi-jinks were about to be afoot, interjected, "Good work, Detectives. I suggest you take the evening for yourselves. You can follow this up at the airport in the morning. Bobby? The paperwork can wait for a day. Enjoy your evenings." With a satisfied nod, he left his Detectives to it.

Logan brightened at the prospect of a free evening. "Anyone wanna shoot a few racks?"

* * *

"A margarita, two beers – one of whatever you have on tap and a Kronenbourg 1664 for me... and a Scr...screwdriver, please." 

Bobby happily placed their orders at the bar. "And, co... could we start a tab?" He handed his credit card over, anticipating taking a hit this evening. It was the least he could do. The others were over by the pool table, racking up the pool balls, chalking up the cues...

'Fiddlesticks', on Greenwich Ave., was pleasantly busy on a Wednesday evening. A few college students, a few businessmen - a largely pleasant crowd. A wide variety of eighties and nineties music played on the ever revolving juke box. He made his way over to the table, balancing the tray of drinks and deposited them safely.

Alex, spotting her partner, suggested they play doubles. Bobby readily concurred, then instantly regretted it as she waved a finger negatively at him. "No, Bobby. Not Partners versus Partners. Girls v Boys." Megan grinned in agreement. This could be fun.

Bobby and Mike shared a resigned smile. Bobby could play, Mike was pretty good and it stood to reason that Megan could pass muster in a pool house. But Alex? Alex was a pool shark and Bobby knew it. _Ah, but does Logan?_, he mused. Turnabout is fair play. He kept quiet about Alex's prowess with the balls.

The first couple of games passed quite innocently. One each apiece, Bobby could tell Megan was a consistently good pool player, Mike exceedingly competent and Alex? Alex was so clearly holding back. A fact only he could tell.

Drinks had been sunk as fast as the pool balls. On her third margarita and not counting, Alex turned to Megan, whispering in her ear as she watched Logan line up a shot. Bobby stood to the rear, sipping at his imported beer and watching the show.

Mike lined up the shot, bending low over the table, concentrating on aiming for the corner pocket. He announced his shot and made the play. At the same time, Megan casually brushed against her Partner, deviously bumping his hip, not so subtly trailing her hand over his rump.

The shot went wild. Bobby choked on his beer as Alex and Megan traded high-fives and clinked empty glasses together.

"Mike?"

"Yeah, Bobby?"

"We have a si... situation on our hands..."

Logan dragged his gaze away from his unusually playful partner and furrowed his brow at Bobby. "Ya don't say, Genius!" He pointed a recriminating finger at Wheeler.

"You 'bumped' me! That's a foul..." Megan and Alex simply giggled, whispered a little more together and offered an olive branch. Attempting to look suitably chastened, Alex suggested to her actual Partner, "We're really sorry, Guys. Bobby, why don't you take two shots? It's on us." She toasted them, along with Megan, with a newly replenished Margarita. The barman was earning his tips tonight.

Not quite sure what she was up to... no, what **both** of them were scheming, Bobby nodded his head in graceful acquiescence and stepped up to the table to take a shot.

Alex, moving as if to apologise, stood on tip toe to reach her Partner's ear. He bent a little at the knee, just to accommodate her. A move as natural to him as the stream of warm air she was breathing into his ear. Distracted by her closeness, and the proximity of their work colleagues, he strove to appear as if she did this every day.

Alex smiled and drew the tip of her tongue over the shell of his ear, feeling the almost invisible shudder run through her lover. Breathily, she whispered... "Those thoughts I told you to hold? You can let them out now..."

Backing rapidly away, she ignored the avid and speculative gazes of Wheeler and Logan, concentrating on Bobby, who appeared lost in a retrospective of his own.

Her smile one of satisfaction,_ 'Who knew a game of pool had erotic potential?'_ mused Alex.

* * *

A/N: Well, this chapter took on a life of its own. You'll have to wait for the next instalment for the...culmination of the pool game. How will Bobby fare? 

Oh... and what will they find out about the culprit?

Thanks so much for reading! Please, leave a review and let me know what you think ;)


	7. Payback

Disclaimer: Such a shame they're not mine ;) You'll see why...

A/N: Transatlantic super beta-hugs for Scripted Starlet. She rocks... And, Em? Bobby-smell, just for you.

Thanks so much to everyone who reviews, reads, alerts. The encouragement is invaluable. And I thought I'd skip over the rest of the pool game and get on with finding the culprit. No? You want pool-related shenanigans? Oh. Okay then.

Rating Warning: I'm thinking 'M'... tell me what you think.

**Ch7. Payback**

"_Those thoughts I told you to hold? You can let them out now..." _

Bobby resembled a modern Michelangelo's 'David', magnificent in his stillness. Zoned out, synapses firing and flaming at the cascade of erotic images storming his brain. The day's taunts and teases coalesced into a tumbledown waterfall of provocation, the Devil's horn of temptation trumpeting triumphantly in his inner ear; _'Alex... Alex... Alex'_

The object of his affection smiled in sated satisfaction at the ramifications of her words, keenly observing his stunned reaction through a vaguely euphoric margarita haze. Logan smirked as Megan grinned, neither entirely sure of what they were witnessing but nevertheless understanding its magnitude.

"Bobby?" Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

Logan tried again. "Hey, Boy Wonder!" Still nothing. Bobby remained deeply engrossed in his own mental teleplay.

Sniggering, Logan gently cuffed Bobby's ear. The same one Alex has sumptuously consumed not minutes earlier... and made a show of drying his hand on the pristine outer seam of his trousers, casting a knowing nod Alex's way. She acknowledged him with a not so subtle _thanks-to-the-margaritas_ wink and a sassy toss of sable bangs.

"Detective!" A second, not so subtle shot to the back of Bobby's head, coupled with a very excellent imitation of the Ross bellow, brought forward the desired response... Bobby started, rudely delivered into the current temporal reality. AKA the present...

"Uh... wh... what?" Frowning at the unscheduled interlude in his daydreaming, Bobby turned to Logan, only to see a shit-eating knowing grin on his face. Bobby couldn't help what happened next. He'd been a victim to this affliction on many a previous occasion since onset of puberty. There was no way to hide his physical reaction. It couldn't be explained away. It was out there. Obvious. Huge.

Robert O. Goren, Detective First Grade... blushed the crimson hue of a summer sunset.

All fuss and bluster, he covered his affliction with the bravado of many men past and reached for the chalk. "Two shots, right?" Deliberately avoiding his Partner's eyes, he bent with studied concentration to the table.

Megan, observing through a veil of Screwdrivers, snagged Alex's arm, drawing her to an almost alcove for a little much needed woman-to-woman bonding.

"What did you do to him, Alex? I've never seen Bobby rattled like that." Fascinated, she observed Bobby bend to the table, lining up the shot as best as he could, given the obstacle he faced in achieving the best position.

Alex smiled a very special smile, one born of centuries of innate feminine understanding, and, raising the salt-rimmed glass to her lips, slowly licked the salty edge, savouring the tartness of the lime in her classic margarita.

"Me?" Her voice the epitome of innocence. "I just... gave him something to think about. All's fair in love and pool, Megan."

Bobby lined up the shot in his minds-eye, whilst his right-brain worked on the conundrum of Alex. God, it was so easy to forget they'd only been 'together' for a few short days… less than a week. Such happiness in such a short space of time. And this new feisty, sensual side of her had him tied up in knots for the past couple of days. Not to mention the trouble that her talented tongue had gotten him into!

Groaning silently, he dropped his forehead to rest on the pool cue, taking a moment to dispel the erotic images and clear the fog in his brain. Taking a deep breath, he made a decision. Two could play this stimulating little game. He'd been promising his pretty Partner retribution since the moment of the Cannulicchi incident.

Focusing on the ball at the terminus of the cue, Bobby made his first play. Making a show of taking the shot, he carefully sought out Alex's position. She and Megan were watching the table, sipping their drinks and making girl talk. Logan stood to the rear, concentrating on Bobby making the shot, male pride at stake here.

Bobby smiled at Alex – that special little boy 'I'm being an extra good angel' smile. His speciality. Holding her gaze, he drew the cue back and forth, seeking the sweet spot of white on colour. Then, as he struck the cue ball, he… wiggled. No other word for it. He moved his hips this way and that; small, sexy, sensual circular movements, all directed Alex's way. Megan froze, drink halfway to her lips and laughed. Mike smirked into his beer.

Alex, midst-sip, choked on the tart lime she was attempting to swallow. _Oh, Man! That's soooo not fair, Bobby. What are you trying to do to me? _A host of butterflies took flight and the slow burn she'd had going all day ignited to full flame. _I know he's hot, but man oh man, when he means it; he means it. _Tilting the glass, she downed the remainder of her drink in one long draught. Holding his gaze, she deliberately, slowly, sensuously licked remnants of salt from her lips. _So… this is how it's gonna be, Bobby?_

Sauntering to the table, Alex determined that if the game were afoot, she'd be a willing participant. Flicking another button open on the blouse she was wearing, Alex leant both hands on the walnut edge of the table. "Nice shot, Bobby. I believe you have one more. Want some help lining it up?"

Dipping lower, she rested on her crossed arms, displaying her modest charms… and a little lace to the best effect. Alex matched his smile with one as equally innocent.

Lace. Blue… powder blue lace, pale skin, the tiniest hint of a small brown mole, the shadowed valley he'd discovered for himself only a day or so past. Entranced, forgetting to breath, he struck carelessly. The shot went wild, cue ball careening off the green baize, bouncing to the floor and rolling to a slow stop at Logan's feet.

"Man…" groaned Logan. "Bobby, you idiot. I can't believe that threw ya!" Turning to Alex, he pointed a further recriminating finger… "You and Wheeler make one hell of a double act. Should be in Vegas. Two shots. You're up, honey."

Straightening up, Alex circled the table, prising the cue from Bobby's frozen fingers. Brushing his chin, she enticed him to bend to hear her whispers. "Cute ass, Bobby. I wanna see more of that move later. So… ready to cry 'uncle' yet?"

Relinquishing the cue, he returned her challenge, seeking and finding the delicate shell of her ear. "Think of this, Alex… after this… wh.. when we're a…alone… I'm going to unbutton each and every one of those little buttons… and, with my very own talented tongue, trace each and every millimetre of your skin… including that cute little mole. Capice, mio amore?"

Alex's eyes closed in supplication as she despatched a hasty prayer heavenwards. _Lord, please get me through this. I won't make it much longer. _Taking a much-needed step back from Bobby's potency, Alex spun to the table. The girls were ahead and Alex was looking to bring this game to a climax, in more ways than one.

"Eight ball, Corner Pocket." Announcing her shot, she chalked up the cue and, holding Bobby's warm, amused, heated gaze, slowly pursed her lips and blew the excess from the tip. Cocking a hip, she bent to the table, eager to despatch this last ball and make their excuses to Mike and Megan. She hoped Bobby was on the same page.

Or maybe not.

As she leant onto her shot, she felt familiar warmth behind her. "Le... let me help you get that lined up just right, Alex. Looks like you need a little coaching…"

Bobby aligned his body full length with Alex's, covering the hand holding the base of the cue and stretching to support her fingers where they directed the cue. He radiated heat and that distinct Bobby-smell. Warmth, musk and a trace of the day's aftershave… hmm, _aqua di gio_…

It mattered not a whit that Bobby was very definitely left-handed where Alex was right. Or that she was the better pool player. And he knew it. Both knew Alex needed no such coaching, but hey, pass up the chance to legitimately touch? No way!

Alex drew in a deep, welcoming breath and enjoyed being enveloped in him. As she drew back her arm to make the shot, she felt him perfectly mirror her every action. In complete synchronisation, his body moved with hers.

Mike and Megan, the only audience to this byplay, stood together watching their two colleagues become increasingly unaware of their surroundings and the company they were in. Amused, Mike raised an eyebrow to Megan, who returned it with a speculative smile. Both knew better than to make issue right now. There was too much fun to be had in the here and now. But tomorrow? Tomorrow would be a different proposition. Barely audibly, they clinked glasses together at the prospect of ragging on the 'hot' Detectives from Major Case.

Alex felt him, hot and heavy behind her and, unable to resist temptation, subtly tilted her hips to his. Biting her lower lip, she tried to concentrate on the shot, thrilling instead to the seduction of being close to Bobby. Simultaneously planning how to make him sweat his next time at the table. _That's assuming he's going to __**need**__ the pool cue at all, Alex!_ She couldn't help the image springing to mind.

Suddenly overheated, needing to escape from the potent combination of beer and Bobby, Alex fired off the shot, sinking the eight ball into the corner pocket with aplomb and consummate ease, despite Bobby's attempts at distraction.

Tossing the pool cue on the table, she hurriedly extricated herself from entanglement with her Partner and made for the bathroom. Megan, a nano-second behind her. _Great,_ groaned Alex silently, _just what I needed…interrogation in the ladies room._

**

* * *

TheLadies Room, Fiddlesticks**

"Alex? What was that out there? If I didn't know better I'd swear you and Bobby were… What **were** you doing?" Megan followed hot on Alex's heels into the inner sanctum of the ladies room. The only place to discuss such matters. What was said in the Ladies Room, stayed in the Ladies Room. A confessional, if you will.

Alex sighed, continuing to blot herself with a cool, damp paper towel. _Was she ready to have a conversation about their new relationship? Should she talk to Bobby first, before spilling the beans? With Carolyn, maybe she'd have talked first, asked permission later. But Megan? Less friends, more co-workers. _

Deciding discretion was the better part of valour, Alex answered with a half-truth. "We're just messing around, Megan. Chalk it up to one margarita too many and let's leave it at that."

"Nah-ah… there's more than margaritas and beer at work out there, Alex. You two could heat a small city with the heat you're generating. What gives?" Megan was determined to get to the heart of the matter.

Setting her back to the mirrors and sinks, Alex regarded her fellow Major Case Detective and considered the probability of her not working out that she and Bobby were seeing each other. Bright and observant, working the same case, in the same office. The chances were zilch.

"Look, Megan. It's new and I'm not sure we know what it is yet. Can I trust you not to say anything? Bobby and I have been through enough this past year without idle gossip causing trouble for us." Suddenly sober, Alex could not have been more sincere.

They really didn't need office gossip hindering the progress of their relationship. Bobby would only fret and over-think if he even suspected Alex's reputation was under attack.

With equally sincerity and empathy, Megan replied simply, "No one will hear it from me. And Alex? You both deserve this. Take your time and enjoy it." Smiling wistfully, she left a contemplative Alex, returning to the table and her own partner.

**

* * *

Meanwhile, at the table…**

Halfway through a restorative, cooling drink, Bobby spewed forth beer and froth as Mike's hearty clap across his broad shoulders caught him unawares. "Way to go, Buddy. You and the lovely Alex Eames, hey? When did this happen?"

Desperate not to besmirch Alex and her stellar reputation as a cop's cop, he sought the words to repudiate and deny the allegation. But his heart. so enamoured of Alex, would not let his head form the words.

"I… I swear, Mike… if you say a single word in the office, they will be your last. Do you understand?" Although almost matched for height, Bobby had a way of making his stature more than a match for his words. Backing off, both hands raised in supplication, eyebrows all but reaching his hairline, Mike back-pedalled.

"Okay, Okay! Sheesh! So, how long have you two been… you know?"

"There's been no 'you know' and less than a week. I t..took her out on Saturday as a thank you for everything and well… before we even got to the meal it had gone from 'thank you' to… to 'date' without either of us realising it." Bobby smiled a reminiscent half-smile, remembering the catalytic evening; dinner, dancing, first kisses…

"Whoa, where'd you go? Bobby? Bobby?" Making a show, Mike chuckled and waved his hand in front of Bobby's vacant eyes.

Starting, Bobby stuttered… "Wh.. What? Oh. Sorry Man. She does that to me." Flushing a little, he offered a sheepish yet happy grin. "It's already better than anything else. She… she knows me, Mike. Really **knows** me and that… well, it… it doesn't scare her at all. And she's Alex, tough, determined, a good cop and I get to see the rest of her as well. Vulnerable Alex with a core of steel. She's… she's everything."

Solemn now, Mike contemplated a happy Bobby Goren, "So it's good?"

"Yeah, Mike. It's good." One hell of an understatement for all that Alex gave him, did for him and, he hoped, felt for him.

**

* * *

Back at the bar…**

Exiting the Ladies Room, Alex noted Logan at the table, being unrelentingly heckled by Wheeler. They had a good partnership, despite the difference in their years. She knew how to rein him in, he knew how to help her break out a little. Good yin and yang.

Scouting the bar, she made out Bobby at the bar, ordering a final round. A Margarita, Screwdriver, a beer and… something in a tumbler. Oh, yeah. His nightcap of choice. Glenlivet. Single malt scotch whisky. An unusual selection in an Irish bar. But that was Bobby. Not your usual man. Watching Bobby settle the tab, signing the credit slip, she wondered at being with him. Megan knew. Logan the lothario couldn't have missed the sexual heat they were generating. Was she ready to be with Bobby? Before God and the whole wide world?

The answer? Unequivocally "Yes".

Abandoning her move towards the table, Alex stepped towards the bar instead. Casually, she sidled into Bobby, standing as close as decently possible. Silently, she picked up the margarita waiting for her and, saluting him with it, drank a silent, emotive toast whilst her eyes sought and found his. Warm, chocolate depths to whirl and drown in. She watched him sip and savour the richness of the single malt, saw the convulsive swallow and tracked it down, down to the crisp curls revealed by the open neck of his dress shirt.

_Hmm, _she speculated,_ maybe he's not as disassociated as he appears…_

Resting her arm to his, she leaned into him, holding his gaze, inviting him to lean a little closer, oblivious to the amused looks from the barman and his associates. An entire conversation with not one word exchanged.

The heat shimmering between like a desert mirage, both tossed back the remainder of their drinks. With one last look at Wheeler and Logan, fully engrossed in their faux-fighting, Bobby and Alex, hands clasped, scooped their coats from the coat rack at the door and ran for it.

Stumbling outside, laughing, feeling much like their teenage alter egos of many moons ago, they escaped into a light New York rain. Spotting a sheltered doorway, Bobby hustled Alex into it, protecting her from the elements and providing an opportunity for… other things.

A kiss. Such a simple word. Such a powerful, emotive word. Bobby took her lips. The sheer carnality of the action took her breath away. Every single pent up frustration and emotion poured into this single action. He plundered, savoured; thrust and parry. She breathed in Bobby and he, Alex. Joint heat threatened to envelope them in a sensual fog. Opening his overcoat, he invited her in, to share his warmth and soothe his body.

Alex all but climbed his length, eager to get as close to him as clothes and decorum would allow. She slipped her small hands beneath his coat and twined lithe legs round his strong thighs.A little hop and she was suspended for just a moment, curled round his heat and strength. Their kiss unbroken, he moved to support her against the brick wall of the doorway, securing her with his form.

Kisses traded back and forth, both seeking, and finding, soft inner recesses and warmth as sweet and seductive as honey. Breaking to breath sustaining oxygen, Bobby rested his forehead on hers, breathing hard as Alex gulped huge breaths.

"Alex? Ask… ask me again?"

Working hard to replace his mouth on hers, Alex tugged determinedly at the back of his neck, doodling encouraging little circlets at the nape. Against his lips, she murmured, distractedly, "Ask me what?"

Resisting her every attempt to reconnect, he gently grasped her chin, lifting until limpid hazel eyes met his. Stunned momentarily by the undiluted passion he found, Bobby managed to embellish his earlier entreaty.

"Ask me to come home with you." Bobby figured she'd feel more at home in… well, in her own home. Abandoning her attempts to seize his mouth, although her lips were still hungry, Alex leaned back, secure in his hold, the better to see his face. Studying carefully, memorising the contours and features one by one, she considered his request solemnly, mindful of the fragility of both the moment and the male ego.

"Are we ready for this, Bobby?" Alex worried her bottom lip, awaiting his reply to her challenge. Unwavering, he held her gaze, smiling serenely, his eyes at half-mast.

"Alex, I've been… ready for a long while."

Smiling, Alex slowly slid torturously down the long length of his frame. Taking his hand, she hailed a cab with the other.

"Rockaway, please".

**

* * *

Eames Residence, 27 Beach Crest, Rockaway**

Bobby took his time surveying her bedroom. Taking time to get to know Alex differently. Her bedroom was Alex to a 'T'. Feminine, functional with clean strong lines. There were pictures on the dresser. Her friends and family. New ones of her adored Nephew. And another new one he'd certainly seen before. In pride of place; the picture taken the night of their first date. His own print sat in a much similar position.

He took time to study the composition. She looked right, nestled against his taller frame. Strength and delicacy warring with each other. Tearing his gaze from it, he observed the calmness of the room, the lack of ruffles, the pristine cream damask bed linen. A less pristine thought crossed his mind.

_Could this count and their third official date? Would Alex be amenable to a 'sleepover'? _He thought wistfully of holding her through the night and waking with her in the morning. He'd missed the intimacy that being in a relationship brought with it and looked forward to all the firsts to come with Alex. His Alex. Beautiful, sensual Alex.

The object of his affection chose the moment of his reflection to sweep into her bedroom, carrying two glasses of OJ, beaded with condensation. Bumping the door shut with her right hip, she surveyed her Partner, perched on the edge of her bed. An unfamiliar but very welcome sight. Bobby had divested himself of his jacket, now draped over her bedroom chair. He'd slipped off his shoes and socks, now stationed beneath said bedroom chair. She smiled at the latter; couldn't abide a man who wore his socks to bed.

Cufflinks, a watch and his tiepin adorned her dresser, alongside the picture of them together. Tilting her head, she considered the scene and delivered a verdict. _I like this. Could get used to this. It's been a… while but this feels right. Comfortable. Nice._

Placing the glasses on the nightstand, Alex moved to stand in front of Bobby, resting her hands on his shoulders. In turn, he raised his hands to rest on her hips, gripping her with barely concealed restraint, looking for signs that this was what she wanted. Dipping her head, Alex captured his mouth in the sweetest kiss yet and, taking his hands, lifted them to the buttons on her shirt.

"Think you can manage those, Bobby?" With a light laugh, she distracted him with butterfly kisses along his jaw, culminating in a sucking kiss to the soft skin of his neck. In turn, she made short work of the buttons on his dress shirt. Together, as one, they each removed the others garments. Zippers and buttons dealt with, pants were soon dispensed with, and items cast carelessly aside. There, in the soft glow of the lamp on the nightstand, Bobby held the stuff dreams are made of.

Holding her from him, he stood and taking her hand, led her to the full length Victorian-style mirror in the corner of the bedroom. Gently drawing her before him, he recreated the pose from their picture. Alex, barefoot, barely reached his shoulder. In turn, Bobby seemed taller, more powerful, all encompassing. His large hands met at her waist, hers folding over.

"Watch…" he whispered, barely audibly into her delicate ear. Alex sighed as a shiver of pure emotion wound its way through her body.

Gently disentangling his hands, Bobby watched Alex watch him as… slowly, oh, so slowly his hands moved in opposite directions. His right hand moved to cup and contour her breast, still covered in powder blue lace, circling, squeezing, sliding beneath the displaced lace to savour her fullness, her flesh pebbling into the warmth of his palm.

The other hand sliding downwards, inexorably, towards the heart of her, cupping and finding the moist heat, the fruits of this evening's games.

Tracing the lacy edge of matching powder blue panties, he let a single digit slip under the silk, to trace skin that felt impossibly silkier than that he'd just breached. Alex moaned in complete surrender, unable to tear her gaze from the sheer eroticism of the tableau before her.

Crowding her lover, Alex's hips moved in musical counterpoint to Bobby's magical fingers, enjoying his skilful ministrations. Each sway of her hips brushed against him, felt him, enjoyed the feel of him, thrilling to her reactions. Helpless, her eyes drifted shut as he took her towards that ultimate height. One finger, then two hooking and curling in perfect tempo with the hand worshipping her breast.

Trembling against him, she summoned the necessary oxygen from deep inside. "Bobby… Bobby… not alone… want you with me."

Smiling, ignoring her words, he kept his fingers busy as he sampled the nape of her neck, a biting kiss instantly soothed with a warm breath. Licked along the length of her neck, his tongue warm and wet on the pulse point throbbing beneath it, savouring her lifeblood as it coursed through her veins in excitement. Alex's breath hitched in her throat and just like that… perfectly like that… instantly like that… the light of a thousand stars burst behind her startled eyelids and a keening cry spilt from her lips as her breath escaped in a sudden rush.

Her sated form collapsed on spaghetti legs, sagging into his strength, confident his arms would keep her safe. Her eyes, heavy-lidded, fluttered open to meet his very male, very satisfied gaze. Her lips parting, Alex attempted to form a coherent sentence… and failed, felled by a storm of emotion and the practicalities of suddenly dry lips.

Swinging her up, high up into his arms, he nestled her to his chest and carried her to the bed. Stooping a little, he allowed her to sweep the comforter from the bed from the safety of his arms. Placing her gently on the side he knew she liked to sleep, he handed a glass of cold orange juice to her.

"Take a moment, Alex." Dropping a kiss to the crown of her head, Bobby skirted the bed, climbing in from the other side, scooting over to pull her back into him, safe against the breadth of his chest. She still wore the blue of her bra and panties, him adorned in navy blue boxers, albeit a little tighter than when he'd donned them this morning.

Snuggling her to him, he dropped a myriad of kisses on the crown of her head, as she sipped orange juice and regained her equilibrium. Snagging the glass, he relieved his own thirst with tart juice, depositing the glass on the nightstand, determinedly ignoring the insistent pressure below his waist. This moment was all about the gift he held in the circle of his arms.

Crossing her arms over the strong, male arms around her waist, Alex tilted her head back, attempting to connect with his eyes.

"Bobby?"

"Hmm…?" His voice more a contented purr, Alex felt the rumbling vibrate through his upper body. It felt… weird. Good, but weird and definitely addictive.

"Not that I didn't just have a fantastic time but… what about you?" Eagerly twisting in his arms, she looped her arms around his neck, showing off her regained strength and enthusiasm, enjoying the heaviness she felt twitch with continued vigour beneath the curve of her hip.

Smoothing back sable bangs from her forehead, he gentled her with a tender kiss, sweet and soulful with just a hint of desperate hunger. Alex couldn't help but entangle her tongue with his, sucking gently on it with a rhythmical insistence that was doing precisely nothing for his libido. Extricating himself from her searching mouth, Bobby soothed long strokes along the length of her spine, encouraging her to relax and recline on him.

"Hush, Alex. I… I'm fine. Better than fine. I feel amazing and that's down to you. Tonight was… i… is all about you. Thank you." Punctuating his impromptu address with hard kisses, he let her know just exactly how thankful he felt.

"Well… don't you want to… you know?" persisted Alex, wrinkling her nose in confusion.

"Do I want to? Hell, yeah. Am I going to ask you? P…Probably. In the very near future. Jus… Just not right now. Right now all I want is…" Trailing off awkwardly, Bobby suddenly didn't know how to ask, casting his eyes downwards.

With soft hands, Alex smoothed the two-day growth on his cheeks. It was her turn to lift his eyes to meet her understanding gaze. "Tell me? Please? Anything at all." She peppered his face with baby kisses, hugging him to her.

Holding her eyes, he sought out the truth in hers. _You want me? Right?_

"Can we…? Alex, would you let me st… stay?" At this moment, his vulnerability struck at the heart of her.

"I told you Bobby." She gently reminded him. "You only have to ask for what **you** want."

Wordlessly, she turned from him and, reaching behind her back, deftly undid her bra, casting it towards the chair where the remainder of their clothes resided. Then, scooting back towards him, she encouraged him to lie with her, snugging his arm around her waist, holding him to her. Waiting with a half-drawn breath to see if he'd accept her invitation and rejoicing when she felt his length at last relax and unfold against her, his heat nestling against her. Reaching out, Alex turned out the light, casting the room into calming shadows, feeling the warmth of his breathing slow to an ever-steady rhythm against the nape of her neck.

Smiling with pure contentment, Alex whispered "Go to sleep, Bobby. We have all day to chase bad guys tomorrow." Enfolding his hand in hers, she heard the faintest "Good Night, Alex" and felt the softest kiss bestowed on her shoulder.

* * *

A/N My first venture into the realm of 'M'… please tell me what you thought.

Stay tuned to learn more about the culprit in Chapter 8….

Oh… Thanks to Marion for the info on where Alex lives… there's not much about CI she doesn't know.


	8. A Fresh Start

Disclaimer: After the last chapter, the powers that be told me I couldn't have them.

AN1: Thanks to my super-beta Alyssa (Scripted Starlet) for the super-fast beta job. Transatlantic hugs, honey!

**Ch.8 A Fresh Start**

"Hey!"

Alex started at the sound, coffee cup halfway to parched lips as she stepped off the elevator. The noise continued, chasing her down the hallway as she swung to the left, heading for the bullpen and her desk, determinedly ignoring her persistent stalker.

"Wait up, Alex." The sound of jogging feet on unforgiving linoleum slapped behind her. Groaning silently, she resigned herself to her fate: dealing with an inquisitive Mike Logan _before_ coffee.

"Where'd you two get to last night? Looked up and the two of you'd high-tailed it out of there? Something we said?" Mike couldn't resist teasing Alex a little this morning. She was fair game after the girls' antics last night.

In a tone that brokered no arguments, Alex retorted, "What is this? Twenty questions? We went home, Mike." She hoped, futilely, that would pacify his inquisitive nature.

Catching up with her, Mike dipped à la Bobby, catching Alex's ear. "Yeah... but whose home, huh?" Wheeling quickly, he spun out of her reach, avoiding the neatly timed cuff to his head, and strode into the bullpen a couple of steps ahead of Alex, laughing amusedly to himself. _Or possibly at himself_, she mentally groused.

Deciding to ignore his behaviour, as you'd ignore any two year-old, Alex placed her precious cargo on her desk... right next to the _grande_ mocha standing tall on the neatly centrered, leather edged desk blotter. Smiling ruefully, Alex reverently touched her index finger to the lid. _We really need to sort out our morning routine..._

Hefting the Starbucks sack onto the desk, she took the _venti _Americano she'd gotten Bobby out, placing it in the centre of his desk blotter. Then she removed an apple-cinnamon muffin. _One for me... _And a cinnamon bun for Bobby. _And one for him. After all, we did skip breakfast this morning. _Smiling, Alex took a seat, moving aside the coffee she'd bought herself in favour of Bobby's. _But who needs breakfast? _They'd spent the early hours in a far more productive manner, in her opinion, her healthy glow a testament to the morning's activities. Reminiscing, content her Partner must be close by his gift, and after leaving before she had, Alex slowly sipped her coffee, waiting on her computer warming up, and thought fondly on their first sleep-over.

_Daylight broke slowly in Rockaway, streaming gently over their slumbering forms. Bobby lay on his back, spread-eagled across the expanse of mattress; his only covering the satiated figure of Alex Eames._

_Her head was tucked neatly beneath his chin, his arm securing her waist even in sleep. They both slept with none of the territorial awkwardness of a first night and all of the depth of two people totally attuned to each other. Both restless sleepers apart, together they slept as newborns, safe in love and comfort._

_Bobby found consciousness first, waking to the unfamiliar weight of Alex on his chest, marvelling at the satiny smoothness of skin, the jut of her hip, the sinuous length of her leg entwined with his. Raising his hand, he sifted through her baby-fine hair, smiling at the infant-like analogy. 'There's nothing childlike about Alexandra Eames...' he mused, stroking the same hand lazily down her naked spine. One long finger dipped and furled along each curve and furrow, enjoying the exploration. Scooting down the bed, he gently lifted her off him to the side, the better to watch her face as he roused her._

_Settling on his side, head cushioned on one hand, he brushed her bangs off her forehead, leaning in to softly kiss her awake. His lips trailed gentle fire along the bridge of her nose, her eyelids, her cheeks, settling firmly on her kiss-swollen lips. Tracing a pattern with his tongue, he bathed her, teased her... until, still half asleep, she responded to the power of his embrace. Neither concerned about morning mouth or dry lips, the kiss deepening and lengthening 'till neither knew where one ended and the other began. _

_Breaking from the deliciousness of waking to 'seduction by Bobby', Alex drew deeply on much needed oxygen, stretching languorously against him. "Mmm, I could sooo get used to this... to you..." _

"_I could too, Alex. Too used, too fast, I fear..." Bobby breathed, his voice rough with morning. Looping her arms round his head, she gathered him close, nose to nose, forehead to forehead. "No such thing as 'too fast', Bobby. We fit. In here, at the office, on the street. We work. And that's it." Complete and utter confidence. Her absolute trust rocked him._

_She gentled him with a slow, soft kiss, stroking her way over his shoulder blades, down his warm flanks, tickling lightly, running her nails lightly over his sensitive skin, smiling as he squirmed in her embrace._

"_God, Alex. You're killing me here... give an old man a chance!" Bobby jumped as she lightly pinched his side in instant rebuke. _

"_Hey! Quit that. No one calls my guy 'old!" Scowling, Alex adopted a familiar militant stance. Hard to do lying down; she managed it, nevertheless. Bobby couldn't help but smile – and kiss away her frown..._

Alex started as the missile bounced off the crown of her head. Swivelling furiously, hot coffee swirling like a gyroscope, she caught a glimpse of the culprit and accomplice at a desk not so far from hers, unrepentant grins on both faces.

"What the hell, Logan... just how old are you? Eleven?" Alex meant no disrespect to eleven year olds but sometimes... _Sheesh!_

"Hey, Alex, since the Captain assigned us to help you two out, whadd'ya want us to take this morning?" This supposedly sensible enquiry accompanied by a bad boy grin. His partner no better, Megan was looking at her like the Gestapo about to interrogate. _That's it. I'm avoiding Ladies' rooms today. Better cut out the coffee...or better yet get out of the office! _

"Cut it out you two. A lady never tells. Go hassle Bobby if you want your assignment. Hey, Mike. Take his coffee, will you? And tell him I'll be in, in just a minute. There's breakfast for him, too." As she walked away, she tossed casually over her shoulder,

"Poor guy needs his energy. He didn't get too much sleep last night."

With that, Alex left them gawking, virtually skipping on her way to update Ross. It looked like they'd be out of 1PP for most of the day. She smiled at the thought.

* * *

_Alex slowly kissed her way down his chest, swirling her warm, wet tongue across his sensitised flesh, dipping into his belly button. Definitely an 'innie'. Smiling, she continued her journey southwards..._

_The coarser hair on his chest, flecked with grey, continued in a 'v' bisecting his torso. Strong pectorals gave way to the beginnings of firm abdominal muscles, softening to thicken around his waist, the signs of recent neglect in no way distracting her from her quest. Relieved to not be found wanting, Bobby relaxed enough to let Alex continue her sensual ministrations._

_Her soft hands moulded the curve of his hip and length of his thigh, the soft brown hair coarser still, while her mouth found the softer, more vulnerable skin low on his belly. He shivered at the slow sucking kiss Alex bestowed there. He felt treasured and, despite his desire to be honourable, gentlemanly... the way she worshipped him made it clear there was no duress in her actions. He gave himself up to her care._

_Thirty seconds later she took everything he had to give... her lips and tongue taking him to bliss..._

"Hey, man. Some broad left this on your desk..." Mike deposited the coffee and cinnamon bun in front of his friend. Service with a smile. Starting initially, rudely jolted from his reverie, Bobby quickly recovered his equilibrium.

"Oh, yeah? D... dark blond, yea high... cute?" Bobby indicated chest height as he grinned at Mike. It appeared even he wasn't immune to claiming bragging rights.

Megan snorted inaudibly. _Men... and their predilection for bonding over conquests. _She knew Bobby would never actually reveal anything about his evening with Alex. It was actually quite reassuring to see him happy, playing the conquering hero. _Alex is a very lucky girl._ The hint of green about her eyes not entirely down to her natural eye colour.

"Yeah. 'Bout that..." Grinning back at workmate, Mike decided to continue his torment of the 'golden couple' of Major Case. "So, Bobby... where'd you two get to last night?"

Bobby appraised him calculatedly, catching the hint of mischief about him, as well as a definite sense that Mike was fishing not so subtly for information. _Okay... I'm guessing he's already tried Alex and struck out... Careful, Bobby... best not be caught giving anything away. No need to be giving grist to the rumour mill._

"Logan... I... I'm guess you struck out with Eames, huh?"

Mike Logan looked as guilty as a schoolboy with his hand caught in the cookie jar, Megan snorted - not so inaudibly, this time. _Another tactic for Mike-control to add to my growing arsenal. Gotta work with Goren and Eames more often!_

"He got you there, Logan. Must be their telepathy works even when they're not in the same room. Yeah, Bobby. He's already tried to grill Alex – and failed. Although..." Megan was not above a dig or two of her own. "Alex did say you needed energy this morning... something about not enough sleep... insomnia again, Bobby?" This last with oodles of innocence lacing her tone.

Bobby laughed at Alex's impudence in making that suggestion, and at Megan's impeccable delivery, unable to be the slightest bit put out by her inference – after all, it was nothing but the truth. But he would enjoy extracting his own form of revenge later... much later. There was work to be done first.

"No insomnia, Megan. In fact, I'm feeling remarkably... invigorated this morning. Still... never hurts to have reserves." Throwing an irresistible smile Megan's way, he began to devour the cinnamon bun and was in the process of licking the lemon cheese frosting off his long, elegant fingers, when his Partner in duplicity walked in.

_Gees... now I know why the Cannulicchi had such an effect on him... _Alex groaned at the image of him licking the decadent frosting off each digit. Payback. In spades.

"Hey, Bobby! You missed a bit..." she teased.

With her index finger, she swirled and swiped round his full lips, rescuing imaginary frosting... taking it to her own lips to taste and consume. She might as well have kissed him right there, in the conference room, right in front of their witnesses.

Mike Logan saw no reason to be quiet, Alex's actions giving him all the permission he needed, together with the conversation he'd had with Bobby last night. "Okay... 'fess up! You two are dating, right?" With his hands on his hips, Mike looked unlikely to take any form of negation, in the face of such overwhelming evidence.

Bobby and Alex looked at each other, each seeking their Partner's permission, both knowing they'd each shared things privately last night with Megan and Mike. But this was different. This was a public acknowledgement of their new status. Alex subtly nodded at Bobby, telepathy in full swing. _Go on, Bobby. If you're ready to share, then go ahead. _The subtle tilt of his head to the left and the way his warm, chocolate eyes fixed on hers told her he'd understood her message.

"Ah... yeah, Mike, we're... dating." Such a completely inadequate description of what was between Alex and himself... Bobby didn't think that the word had yet been coined to describe what he felt for Alex... and she for him.

Bobby couldn't evade the resounding clap Logan gave him on the shoulder, even as Alex accepted a sisterly hug from an excited Megan Wheeler.

"Oh, Alex... this is great. I promise. We won't tell." She cast a threatening glare at her partner, openly pleased their co-detectives felt able to share their good news.

"What?!... Oh, yeah. Congrats. We'll keep it quiet... promise." Logan deftly crossed his heart to seal the pledge in time honoured tradition.

Bobby coughed, colouring a little. "Um... good. Alex and I... we just want to take this at our own pace, you know?" Alex curled her fingers round his, delivering a reassuring squeeze, then let go.

Smiling resignedly at their fellow Detectives, Alex continued, "Yeah, I don't want to share him with anyone just yet, but we figured it wouldn't be long before you two worked it out."

The four of them stood grinning foolishly at each other until Logan broke the silence. "So, Bobby... what's on for today? We got us some bad guys to catch..."

Clearing his throat, Bobby dropped his hand from Alex's and turned to the whiteboard, perusing the list he'd been working on before Mike interrupted his pondering. _Okay... reminiscing... scratch that... daydreaming. _Giving himself a mental shake, Bobby turned his mind to work.

"Um... yeah... I need to follow up on the mail carrier from my building, although I don't think he's gonna tell me much..." Alex chipped in, "We also need to check with the Financial Crime Unit and see if anything came back on the credit card slips from the Florists."

Neatly taking up the thread, Bobby continued, "Then there's the car rental to go see about..."

Logan, busy thinking, added his two cents, "What about checking the passenger rosters – once we know the date they hired the car? Might throw something up?"

Considering this, Bobby concluded, "Yeah. It's worth doing. I'll let you know as soon as we have something from th... the car rental place. Too many flights to check without a name or a date. Eam... ah, Alex – do you have anything else?"

Alex took a moment to peruse the whiteboard, lightly fingering the card from the florists. The tiniest of frowns on her face, she considered the message again. There was _something_ deliberately intended in the phraseology used. If only they could see it.

Turning back to the expectant group, she concluded, "Nope. That's it, I think. Megan, do you mind following up with the Financial Crime Unit for us? Bobby and I'll go chase up the car rental."

Megan silently nodded her agreement; busy taking down the details from the florists' cards pinned on the whiteboard.

"Great. That's settled then. You can reach either of us by cell. We'll probably be out all day." Alex was happy with the division of labour. Mike and Megan would be doing office duty whilst Bobby and Alex got to stretch their legs – metaphorically, since they'd be driving, but still – out of the office was out of the office.

**

* * *

Driving to La Guardia 11.07a.m.**

Alex steered the SUV towards the off-ramp for La Guardia, deftly manoeuvring through mid-morning traffic, glancing periodically at her engrossed Partner. Bobby perused the notes he'd gathered in his trusty portfolio, turning the evidence over and over in his ever-active mind.

"Alex?"

"Hmm?" She regarded her Partner quizzically.

"What do you make of the phrase on the card... I mean... now you know I didn't write it. Does it change its emphasis?" pondered Bobby, eager to get her take on it.

Alex paused, as if in thought, but actually distracted by the cute little furrow between his brows. Forcing her mind back to its correct 9-5 role, she considered his question.

"Um... well, I suppose... when I thought you had written it, I didn't even question the phraseology at all. Thinking on it now, it's kind of high brow for your average common criminal, don't ya think?" she mused.

Bobby rolled the phrase over in his mind, as if on one track repeat, examining the sentence construction..._"It's my hypothesis that you're the answer to my millennia of problems."_ That same déjà vu feeling swirled at the edges of his whirring mind, something ethereal, wraith-like, just out of reach.

"Bobby? If you think about it, it sort of sounds like whoever it is, is seeking a solution, don't you think? That they're looking for an answer?" Alex presented this whimsy, anticipating Bobby would already have considered and discarded this option.

He mulled this concept over, wishing for a desk to lean on so he could steeple his long digits and rest in contemplative thought. Carefully, he answered, "I agree. Otherwise, why use the word 'answer'? I'm certain **all **the words were chosen because the Perp thought that they'd trigger something for the both of us."

Alex nodded her head slowly, keeping a keen eye on the mid-morning traffic as they approached the turn-off for the airport. "Yeah, it's not often you get 'hypothesis' and 'millennia' in a single sentence, huh?", hoping to get one of his 'not many people know this' facts out of him, but he was already lost in his portfolio and thought.

Bobby nodded absently, his mind having already filed this new line of thinking for his subconscious to do the grunt work on. Alex smiled indulgently and kept an eye out for the car rental agency, knowing an actual elephant, let alone a metaphorical one, and all his friends, could enter the room whilst Bobby was in deep thought and he'd never notice.

**

* * *

Back at 1PP...**

The incessant tapping was driving her slowly mad. Finishing up her phone conversation, Megan calmly turned to her ever annoying, equally complicated partner, surveying his unbuttoned collar, askew tie and general air of frustration. She noted the pencil he continually tapped on the desktop, the barely leashed energy seeming to vibrate around him. Normally, this would be her cue to throw a pithy comment his way, so sparking bickering; which Logan assured her was strictly friendly banter.

Today, she opted to take a leaf out of Alex's book and tease him out of his funk. Deliberately, she tossed him a dime... hiding a smirk as he reflectively snatched it out of the air, staring at it in bewilderment.

"Penny for them, Mike?" she bartered.

Twirling the coin between his fingers, the same way she'd seen Bobby do it, he arched an eyebrow high over one eye. "This ain't no penny, Wheeler. You trying to bribe an Officer of the Law?" he surmised, humour replacing the earlier bad temper.

Assuming a totally innocent expression, well matched by her freckles, Megan lightly fluttered her eyelashes, a move so unlike her normal professional demeanour that Mike was startled in to a sudden laugh. "Why, Mr Policeman, Sir... I wasn't trying to bribe no one..."

That did it. The pair of them dissolved into uncontrollable laughter, garnering a few strange looks from the rest of the bullpen. Gradually, reality encroached, sobering them up again. Simultaneously, they spoke.

"So who was on the phone?" and "What's got you in a funk?"

Clearing his throat, Logan intoned, "Ladies first..."

"Why thank you kind Sir! And it was the Financial Crime Unit about the credit card sales receipts." This seemed to perk him up no end. Eagerly, he gestured in a 'come on' motion.

"So give it up, Wheeler. What did they say?"

Worrying her lip, she pondered minute. Wouldn't Bobby want to know first? Still, Mike was her partner. She broached it with him. "Mike. Don't you think Bobby should know first? This is all about him."

Pinning her firmly with his _'I'm the Senior Partner'_ look, he gestured again, impatiently. "We'll tell him when he calls in. C'mon, Wheeler, what d'ya get from 'em?"

Giving in, Megan led the way to the conference room, information in hand. "We know that four women were sent flowers, right?" Mike nodded his assent, "Get to the good stuff, Wheeler..."

Although she enjoyed teasing him, she drew the line at torturing the poor guy. "There was a single sales slip for all the flowers sent. The Finance guys tell us that the card belongs to a Mrs. Theresa Chamberlain out of Norfolk, Massachusetts and it isn't reported stolen." She pinned the newest information on to the whiteboard, alongside the cards from the flowers.

Logan frowned, thinking on the new evidence. "Hey! Weren't the telephone orders phoned through by a male youth?"

"Yep. So this Mrs. Chamberlain must be a relative, huh?" she postulated.

Mike thought on this. "Could be. Could be. Or it could be identity theft. No way to know till we check it out. You notify the local guys in Norfolk?"

She shook her head, "No. Not yet. Thought I'd leave the next step to Bobby. Depending what they find at La Guardia, the location or name might tie up. And I don't want to alert them in any way, now we're getting closer."

Nodding his head sagely, he agreed with her assessment, "Good move, Freckles..." and ducked, narrowly avoiding the balled up legal sheet directed at his forehead.

**At the Rental Agency...**

Alex pulled their SUV into the lot at National Car Rentals, La Guardia. Pulling into a parking space, she cut the engine and turned to Bobby... who was still engrossed in his head and his portfolio.

"Earth to Bobby... Come in, Mr Goren... your time is up!" she joked, waving an elegant hand in front of his face, smiling when he caught it and kissed each slender digit.

"I'm here, Alex. Just... thinking..." he murmured, smiling back at her indulgently. "You see any SUV's like mine?" Both cast their gaze round the lot, but there was no sign of anything like Bobby's vehicle.

"Nope." she declared. "Let's go ask."

Eagerly, Alex bounded from the car, Bobby right behind her. The agency was thankfully quiet. Minutes later, after showing the picture of the SVU, it turned out they only had three the same on the books.

Bobby took up the questioning, turning his effortless charm on the hapless clerk and pretending not to notice as Alex rolled her eyes at him.

"So who's been renting these recently? Over the last three weeks say?" His easy smile followed his words.

The clerk, enamoured of the handsome Detective, took her own sweet time looking up the information for them, casting what she obviously believed were winsome smiles his way. Alex, rapidly losing patience and verging on an attack of snark, spouted, "Sweetheart? He has a girlfriend and I don't have forever... the rental details?"

Bobby hid a grin, instead turning an apologetic gaze on his interviewee, "I'm s... sorry about my Partner, miss. She gets a little... frustrated. But she's right, we do need to be going. Do you have the details?"

The clerk harrumphed, clearly dissatisfied with the now-off limits handsome Detective and his snippy Partner. "Only one of the cars has been on a longer term rental. Rented to a Mark Chamberlain about three weeks ago."

Bobby smiled emphatically at that news, certain they were a step further to the culprit in a mystery that should have been wrapped up days ago. "Great! We'll take a copy of the rental forms. Wh... when's it due back?"

The clerk turned her gaze back to the computer screen, scanning the information to the tune of Alex's nails tapping staccato on the counter top. "The vehicle was due back after two weeks but the renter extended by phone for a further six. Do you want the credit card details, also?"

Alex butted in, "Yes, please. Any chance someone remembers what this guy looks like?" She cast her eye round the agency, looking for CCTV cameras. Bobby caught onto her train of thought.

"Did you... or one of your colleagues, perhaps... serve them?" he inquired, with a huge helping of little-boy Bobby grin.

_Sheesh, Bobby, again with the smiles! _Alex suspected there was maybe, just a hint of... well, the tiniest speck of... the green eyed monster about her. Which was silly, of course. Lyrics of an old song her Dad used to like came to the forefront. _'Just remember who's taking you home, and in whose arms you're gonna be...' _They calmed her remarkably, safe in the knowledge that the only arms he'd be in tonight were her own.

Meanwhile, the clerk was helpfully filling Bobby in. "We do have CCTV, but I'll have to arrange for the copy to be sent to you, if we still have it. And I was the clerk who served them. I'm afraid I can't really remember much."

Bobby's startled eyes met Alex's equally astonished ones. He pounced on the most interesting tidbit of information they'd heard all day. "Excuse me, you said 'them'. There were **two** of them?"

The clerk looked at them strangely. "Yes. Why? Is that important?"

Alex, all business now, responded quietly. "Yes. It could be very important. Can you tell us more?"

Squinting, she tried to remember. "Well. One was young-ish. A teenager, I think. About 16-17. The other. Mark? He was older, obviously, since he rented the car. Tall, gangly. Well spoken though. I didn't really pay much attention to them as everything was in order."

Alex almost danced on the spot. Gathering her concentration, she proposed sending a sketch artist in, to see if the girl could remember the two young men.

"Oh, before you go, Detectives? Here's a copy of the credit card slip and the carbon of the rental agreement. I stapled a copy of his driver's licence to it but I'm afraid it's not the best copy."

Bobby took the bounty, folding it carefully into his portfolio, as they turned to leave.

"Thanks. You've been really helpful." They were almost to the door when her voice followed them, arresting their steps. "Oh... and they came in on a flight from Boston. I remember that much."

They filed this latest information, thanked her once again and made their way out into the afternoon sun.

They'd barely gone more than ten yards when Bobby's cell rang. Thinking it was Logan, Alex left him to it and went to start the car, figuring she'd call for a sketch artist at the same time. Bobby was left outside, holding a decidedly one-sided conversation. A few seconds later, he opened the car door, swinging into the passenger seat. His stillness caught her attention, and she hurriedly finished her own call to 1PP.

"Bobby? What's up?"

"That was the Mailman... George Robson. He phoned to tell me he really can't tell me anything of use..."

"C'mon, Bobby... I know you. There's something else, isn't there? What else did he say?" she enquired, curiously.

Bobby turned to Alex, looking deeply into her lovely brown eyes, momentarily distracted by the love and light he found there. Drawing a breath, he replied, "Alex... he just told me he found a hand-written note when he opened my mail box to deposit today's mail."

"Well... what are we waiting for? Let's go see what our little criminal... sorry, criminals... have to say for themselves today!"

Wheels spinning, she pealed out of the parking lot, heading for Brooklyn and home... with Bobby.

* * *

AN2: Find out what's in the envelope in the next instalment of "All About Him"... 

Thanks for reading and for your un-ending patience. Please leave me a review and let me know what you think :)


	9. Lemniscus

Disclaimer: Emily said I could have them! Honest! But only if I promise to put them back unharmed.

_**A/N1: I'm the luckiest girl in the whole wide world! I have two special betas for this chapter. And in strict fanfiction alphabetical order: Thanks so much to I-am-LMR (Emily) and Scripted Starlet (Alyssa) for wonderful beta'ing.**_

**

* * *

**

Ch.9 Lemniscus

The envelope itself was quite innocuous. Plain white and standard business size. Bold print... not script... in stark black on the otherwise unadorned front, labelling the contents for the attention of one _Detective 1__st__ Grade Robert Goren. _

The contents, however, were a different story entirely. Bobby and Alex sat at the small table for two, tucked into a nook in his living room, looking at what Bobby had just tipped out onto the table. It tumbled out gently, a twisted slip of whiter than white paper, rolling to a stop. There was no note. The culprit obviously felt the contents would speak for themselves.

Both took a moment to stare blankly at the object. Recognition came first to Bobby.

"It's a mobius strip," he stated, flatly, looking to her for a hint of realisation.

When Alex made no immediate comment, fixated as she was on the piece of origami, he continued his informative spiel, convinced she had missed its significance.

"A mobius strip is a strip of paper which is twisted and attached at the ends, forming an 'endless' two dimensional surface..." he intoned, face carefully blank.

Alex interrupted him, mid-encyclopaedic spout. "Yeah, I know. If I remember right - it's a representation of infinity?" she proposed, unconsciously seeking approval for her insight or some other acknowledgement of her contribution, but Bobby was already lost on an extended thought-trip.

The frown on his forehead was endearing, his confusion as palpable as his need for his conference room and the whiteboard with the rest of the puzzle on it. The need to slot in the next piece fairly vibrated through him. This obviously held meaning for the culprit, who must also believe it would strike a chord with Bobby.

_Infinity. Lemniscate. Mobius Strip._ The word, symbol and physical manifestation rolled around his brain, searching for a link to the other pieces of evidence. Evidence he really needed to see and to touch to join the dots.

He tried picturing the whiteboard, strafed with all the information they'd collated and cajoled along the way. He imagined the gems gleaned from today's outing strategically placed alongside. His mind's eye worked hard to join the dots and he summoned the conclusions from deep in his subconscious.

And suddenly... it all made perfect sense_. _

_But why? Why would __**he**__ be the culprit? _Bobby needed to understand what would drive someone to such lengths. Was it a cry for help?

Alex herself was quietly working through the import of this latest clue on the investigation. _Millennia. Hypothesis. Infinity. _

Her startled eyes met Bobby's newly aware ones. _Surely it couldn't be! It had been at least six years. Why now? _It seemed so unlikely yet obvious at the same time. She needed to know if Bobby had come to the same conclusion she had.

Shrewdly, Bobby assessed Alex's startled gaze. With a rueful smile, he noted, "You worked it out, huh?" He knew she would fit the pieces together, just as he had.

Careful in her response, Alex slowly replied, "Infinity, the End, Death." His eyes told her all that his lips didn't say, leaving no room for doubt.

She frowned, "I remember. But... how could it possibly be? Why now? Bobby, I want to be sure we're right before we go spouting our mouths off." Concerned, she worried the fullness of her lower lip, meeting his own troubled gaze.

"I want to be absolutely certain, before we go ruin his life again."

Bobby thought this over a minute or two. Alex was right. It fit but seemed inconceivable at the same time. They needed to join the dots. He thought about the evidence back at the office and the information they'd asked Logan and Wheeler to get them.

Taking her hand, he brought it to his mouth for a tender kiss. "If we're right, we'll find out why on our terms. Look, we'll get Mike and Megan to come here. Talk to them both, find out what they know a...and let them in on it. We'll work out what to do together."

He left her mulling over his suggestion. Rising, he brushed a kiss across the crown of her head. "I'll go see what I can rustle up for dinner. Logan's always hungry. Why don't you give them a call and ask them over for later?"

He left her alone with her thought and strolled off to forage in his kitchen, oblivious to the sheer domesticity of the moment and his suggestion. His actions were purely a _tromp- l'oeil_ for his mile-a-minute brain. He looked calm, his features carefully schooled, emotions held firmly in check, but the tiniest tic along his jaw line gave him away, the muscle in his cheek jumping and flexing.

Alex knew all his tells and wasn't the least bit fooled. Cooking was a more productive than pacing, at least. Plus, she'd get to eat. Smiling her amused little moue at this thought, she decided to vocalise something her stomach at least would be happy at. _Was that a 'Yay' I hear from my midsection?_

Her shoulders shaking with silent laughter, Alex summoned the chef's attention. "Honey dearest, since you're in the kitchen and all..."

Her personal Novelli popped his head back into the living room, eyes narrowed threateningly, adorned in a pristine white apron... and wielding a huge chopper... (Shaking her head free of the erotic image, Alex refocused) ...wielding a large, sharp chopping knife.

"Yes, my love? You called?" Bobby meekly responded. The submissive tone did not match the wicked grin on his face, nor the devilish glint in his eye. And now she could see the apron he wore, in full. _Chefs do it with... spice. _The one she'd gotten him last Valentines, after having dinner at his on an all-nighter. He preferred to cook in his own domain.

The apron alone gave her a plethora of ideas. Ideas only fit for a party of two, when alone and the lights were out. She took a moment to consider this. _Or 'on'! I could explore him for hours with the lights on..._ Parking that thought in the naughty corner of her active imagination, she stuck to wheedling her own desires out of him, responding with an all out grin at the sight he made.

"Hmm, cute, Goren! Very cute... and very sexy. "

With her most winsome smile, Alex resorted to a minor flutter of eyelashes and requested, "Could we have _Fettuccine Alfredo?_ And Bobby? Hold the spice. For later?" she sassed.

Bobby closed his eyes in supplication, sending an entreaty upwards. _Heaven help me! Lord, she'll be the death of me... but oh, what a way to go. _Silently, deliberately, he set the knife back on the countertop, holding her gaze all that time. Slowly, slowly, he walked purposefully to her, marking time to an invisible drum... perfectly in sync with his steadily increasing heartbeat.

Eyes wide, Alex watched him inch closer. _Bobby Goren, what the hell are you up to? _Finding his determined gaze, she saw only love, laughter and intent. Deliberately, she held his eyes with her own, letting him see the sentiments reflected back at him. _Soon, Bobby, soon. _Relaxing at the as yet silent exchange, the playful smirk was soon back on her suddenly dry lips. Drawing an anticipatory breath, she let the barest hint of tongue slip between her lips to moisten them. Bobby tracked every move as he advanced, swallowing convulsively at her innocent action. _Or maybe not so innocent..._

With a sudden swoop, he dipped as she squealed. Scooping her from the chair, he carried her to the sofa and his lap, draping her over him as if she were his personal comforter.

Alex took the hint, snuggling closer to his warmth, enjoying this so seldom seen playful side to him. At least, not so recently seen. Suddenly, she felt so sensitive to his scent and his heat. Tucking her head into the crook of his neck, she inhaled the deeply intoxicating aroma, his smell. _I could make a fortune bottling this... this... Bobby-smell._

Her tongue snaked out sinuously, tasting him as she sampled the length of his neck, the fleshy lobe of his ear, tracing the sinuous outer shell. About to make her way to his lips, he found hers first and revelled in them. Her heartbeat quickened, the beat thundering in her ears, whooshing in and out with her racing pulse. Her breath, taken in gulping inhalations between moments of excitement, soughed raggedly in and out to the same rhythm.

Bobby took his time, savouring each nuance, exploring the fullness of her bottom lip, biting gently and bathing soothingly. Sweeping over her perfectly straight teeth and into the warm depths of her welcoming mouth. He groaned deeply at the perfection of her, the vibrations rich against her breast, and deepened the onslaught.

Alex opened wider to accept and participate in these powerful, drugging kisses, one merging into the other. The heat and depth of his kisses seduced her, overwhelmed her... thrilled her. And she gave as good as she was getting.

Pushing him back into the depths of the sofa, Alex enjoyed wrapping herself round his solid length, feeling the heat of him from top to toe. How she loved feel of him stretched against her. Tugging gently, she encouraged him to get comfortable on the sofa – as comfortable as possible with a five foot two female draped over you! Bobby wasn't complaining, as he wrapped himself just as surely around her delicate form.

"God, I love... this. I love making out with you," she groaned, nipping the arch of his throat, sucking gently at the point where his life's blood coursed strongly through his veins, the pulse point echoing the erratic beat of his over-excited heart, thrilling to the power of his arousal, soothing with a swipe of her tongue.

Bobby, busy in turn, enjoyed smoothing his way from shoulder to hip and all the planes in between, enjoying the evidence of her response to him, all the while busily engrossed with tracing the shell of her ear with his own skill. "Alex, honey... you f... feel so good!" Unable to resist, he trailed his hands to cup and caress her amazingly taut derriere, marvelling at how it fit perfectly into his cupped hands. With gentle pressure, he switched positions with her and encouraged a more direct contact between them, bemoaning the unnecessary layers of clothing providing an unwelcome barrier, smiling at her gasp at the increased friction, feeling a corresponding heat build where her softness met his... not so softness. Bobby couldn't help grinning as Alex buried her face in the nook of his neck and shoulder, shuddering in response. _Hell, _thought Bobby, _I feel like a damn teenager! _

The golden partnership of Major Case, entwined on a sofa in the early afternoon sunlight streaming through his apartment window.

Groaning, he reluctantly drew back and set her from him even as Alex mewled, reaching for him, regretting his loss. Leaning back down, he anointed her with a last kiss, fast and hard and deliciously wet, and left her... wanting... needing... craving more.

"God, Bobby. What you do to me..." Stretching sinuously, Alex cuddled a pillow in lieu of Bobby, enjoying the zing of arousal and the lethargy of satisfaction.

As he headed back to his domestic domain, Bobby threw over his shoulder; "Alex? Call Logan and invite them over. Oh, and get them to bring along their evidence, as well as the passenger lists. We might as well confirm what we think we know."

Groaning, yet giggling at the same time, Alex hefted a throw pillow at his retreating form, raising both arms in victory when it struck his behind with a resounding "thwack", enticing her into doing the Snoopy dance in celebration... as Bobby's own laughter could be heard echoing into the kitchen.

**

* * *

**

Back at 1PP...

"Logan..."

Glancing at the caller ID, Mike grinned as he held his trilling phone to his ear.

"Hey, babe! Been waitin' on ya'! What took ya' so long?"

Throwing his trademark grin at Megan, Mike raked his hair back from his forehead with long fingers, his academy ring glinting in the bright florescent office light as he kicked back in his chair and propped his size elevens on the desk, much to Megan's chagrin.

Rolling her eyes at him, she watched as Logan the Lothario sprang into action. Smooth patter, practiced grin... endearments tripping off his tongue – all made her wince and feel equal parts sorry for, and jealous of, the recipient of his attentions. Not that she wanted Mike's attention, of course, she hastily reminded herself. Still a little of that particular type of attention from a special someone would go a long way. Not exactly a daydream type of girl, Megan couldn't help but wish someone was waiting at home for her at the moment. Mike, though single, didn't seem to want for company. Bobby had Alex and vice versa. What did she have?

Shaking her head at her unscheduled side trip into melancholy, she chose actions over thoughts and stripped a leaf from the legal pad in front of her and, making sure Mike could see her, balled it up, aimed and fired it straight at his forehead. Mike, being Mike, didn't even try to duck. He simply and cleanly snatched the missile mid-air and launched it right back at her with a bold wink.

"Sure thing. Yep. Will do. See ya' later. Dinner, right? Should I bring anything? Nope. Okay. Later, doll."

With a grin, he snapped his cell phone closed, pretending to concentrate on something immensely important in the notes on the desk in front of him, just waiting for some pithy comment from his sparky partner. She didn't disappoint.

"Another hot, incredibly young, centrefold date tonight, Mikey?" she rejoined, eyes flashing and her grin sardonic.

He knew her snark was way worse than her bite. Much like Alex. _Actually, I gotta ask Bobby about that... maybe Alex is a little hellcat when roused? Hmm, maybe I won't poke the tiger, though._

"Ah, Freckles... a little jealous of my hectic social life?" Not so hectic, if truth be told, and the dates that much closer to his own age these days - but it wouldn't do to give all his secrets away. There was his reputation to uphold.

"Mikey, Mikey... what's to be jealous of?" mused Megan "You don't know _everything_ about my social life. For all you know, I got the New York Mets waiting at home!"

Even Megan had to snort at that. _Fat chance! Tivo and her best buds Ben and Jerry were the most reliable men in her life this year._

Logan knew better than to take the bait. Taking pity on his partner, he came clean.

"Look, Megan, it was Alex on the phone, okay?"

Megan perked right up. "Yeah? What did she want?" Ever since her little hunch had played out and they'd enjoyed the night out; just the four of them, Megan looked forward more and more to working with Alex and Bobby. You never knew – some of that golden reputation might rub off on her and Mike.

"Goren invited us over for dinner. Fettuccine Alfredo, according to Alex. Said to bring the wine, the info we've gathered today and..."

Impatient, Megan prompted "and..."

"...and the contents of the Conference Room. Goren and Eames..."

Mike reflected a moment, "...well, probably Goren... wants to review everything and she said we might as well do it over dinner."

"Cool." Suddenly eager, Megan bounced out of her seat, heading for the conference room, leaving a bemused Mike shaking his head as he watched her.

"Oh, the energy of youth..."

Megan smirked over her shoulder at him... "Move dem old bones, Mistah...", laughing at his antics as he pretended to dodder his way over to her. _Today was looking up after all._

The fettuccine stuck to the tile... hung for a second... then slowly peeled itself from the wall and dropped to the counter-top.

"Perfect..." Bobby tested the pasta with his teeth, checking for the _al dente_ bite, while Alex set the table for company. Four would just about fit round his dining table. He smiled at the thought of such domesticity, since he couldn't remember when he'd last had anyone other than Alex round for dinner, let alone three people. It felt like a definite step in the couple direction, even if 'their' guests were Mike and Megan.

Alex, for her part, was enjoying playing hostess. Not a role she'd ever seen herself in, having been a cop first and foremost and wife somewhat second. It was a nice feeling; to be socialising as a couple with friends who would not judge their togetherness. Standing back, she surveyed her handiwork, nodding with satisfaction at the table she'd laid with his Mother's "good" china. Yes, it felt good. Really good.

The doorbell interrupted both their musings. Arms laden, Logan impatiently hollered, "Time to behave, kids. Mom and Dad are back... open sesame!"

Megan kicked lightly at the door. "Alex... my arms are killing me here!" It wasn't like Megan to be voluble, but Mike had made her walk up to Bobby's apartment with her arms full. Gritting her teeth, she shifted her load, thinking thoughts of evil retribution, throwing a death glare Mike's way. He simply grinned, Logan-style. '_Why does that make me want to stomp my feet like a two-year old?' _mused Megan.

Alex got the door, leaving Bobby to his creativity, swinging it wide to greet their colleagues. _Whoa, Megan looks pissed! _With an amused gesture, she invited them into Bobby's apartment.

"Mike? What've you done now? Megan – just dump the stuff on the coffee table for now..."

Megan quickly complied, groaning as her muscles protested. Logan just shot a grin at Alex and followed suit.

"The youth of today have no stamina, Alex..." The rest of his pronouncement was lost behind the sound of rolled up flipchart smacking him soundly. Alex just laughed as Megan took out her frustrations on her partner. Mike laughing along with her did _not_ help.

Alex called out, "C'mon, you two. Bobby's got dinner ready...", leading Megan to the table.

Mike dug in one of the bags and found the wine, calling "Hey, Bobby? I went with Pinot Grigio and a Sangiovese... that okay? Got a corkscrew? And something to keep the white cold?"

Bobby stuck his head round the edge of the kitchen door, tossing the corkscrew and a chiller sleeve his way. He always had chiller sleeves in the icebox for when Alex came over, along with a bottle of her favourite wine. He knew she noticed and treasured the little things he did like that.

"Heads up, Mike," he called. Catching Alex's amused gaze, he softly invited, "Alex – do you want to give me a hand?", which of course resulted in Mike raising an eyebrow at Megan, waggling it suggestively. Alex took the opportunity to swat Mike herself as she passed.

"Pour the wine, Logan. Pinot for me."

Alex headed into the kitchen, "What do you need, Bobby?" squealing as he pounced, stealing a demanding, heated kiss. He rested his forehead on hers, breathing her in unique scent, her warmth and solidness.

"Better now. Just missed you. Want to take the breadbasket out and the plates?" Bobby strove to appear completely unaffected, knowing it would drive her mad and that she would tease him mercilessly later, testing his limits and resolve.

Gulping, Alex nodded her assent; her voice stolen by him and blindly grabbed the bread and plates, reversing out of the kitchen.

* * *

Dinner was a more than pleasant interlude. Mike and Bobby made hilarious dinner dates, each trying to outdo the other with outrageous stories and evermore obscure facts. Bobby won easily with a tale from his Army days. Who knew that rocket launchers actually came with the instruction "Aim towards the enemy"? Megan and Alex laughed and teased their partners, enjoying the rare off duty moment, their friendship definitely cemented.

Dessert over, they were savouring espresso and trying to ignore the pull of the information dumped on the sofa. Eventually, its lure proved too great to resist for Bobby as he gravitated towards it and began recreating the conference room whiteboard on the corkboard by his desk.

The others left him to it for the moment, knowing he would recall where and how each and every piece of information connected to the others, and took to clearing away the remnants of dinner instead. Megan took great delight in wrapping her partner in a decidedly feminine apron while they worked on the dishes, ignoring his protestations as she snapped his picture on her cell phone. _Gotcha! A picture paints a thousand words... future Mike-control blackmail material. _

He waved the knife he was cleaning wildly in her direction, sudsy bubbles dripping onto the kitchen floor, "Freckles... I'm tellin' ya'... if that picture so much as finds its way anywhere near the squad room...", he frowned, as the knife wavered vaguely threateningly in her direction. The threat, however, was somewhat spoiled by the apron wrapped round his waist. Alex took one look at the pair of them and rolled her pretty brown eyes expressively at Megan, the pair of them dissolving into laughter as Mike sulked at the sink, up to his forearms in bubbles.

Clean-up didn't take too long as a second pot of filter coffee dripped; before too long they were ready to take a fresh look at the case. Mike and Megan were eager to contribute their day's findings but for Alex and Bobby it was more about checking their deductions and, ultimately, their conclusions...

Megan commandeered Bobby's large and comfy armchair, swinging her legs over one side, sipping her coffee slowly, brow furrowed in concentration at the construction Bobby was deeply engaged in, already lost in the mystery. Alex took a corner of the sofa, curling her legs under her and looking very much at home, thank you very much! She dragged a throw pillow into her lap and used it as a rest for her very large coffee cup.

Mike opted for the floor, leaning his back against the sofa as he restlessly played with odd and ends, throwing paper clips back and forth from palm to palm, a lock of dark hair carelessly falling over his forehead as he watched Bobby in his artistry.

Impatient now, "Bobby, do you wanna know what Freckles and I found out today or did ya' just bring us over for another episode of the 'The Goren Show'...", wincing as Alex's toe made a pointed dig in his should blade. _He'd made a tactical error sitting in reach of Alex... obviously._

"Hmm... what? Oh, yeah... just a minute, Mike..." Bobby made a miniscule adjustment to the board and stood back to contemplate, eyes heavy-lidded, chin resting in thinking-man profile on his clenched fist. _Oh, yeah, it fits. It all fits. Man, he'd never have believed he was capable of this elaborate plan. It seemed so incongruous what they remembered of him. _Turning back to his audience, he caught Alex's eye, exchanging a meaningful look; a confirmation of their earlier conclusions and watched as Alex slowly nodded her agreement and support.

Bobby turned back to Megan and Mike... "Okay... tell us what you got today..."

Mike eyed them suspiciously – something was up. Bobby was definitely holding back. He cast a telling glance Megan's way and noted the very second she realised there was a definite vibe emanating from both Alex and Bobby – her spine straightened in a New York minute and she blindly placed her coffee cup out the way, her full attention on Bobby.

"Bobby..." she asked, suspicion lacing her voice,"... what's up? What do you know?"

Bobby smiled patiently, "First things first, Megan. Why don't you and Mike fill Alex and me in before we get to other stuff?"

Mike harrumphed, as Megan scowled and Alex couldn't help but be amused at the pair of them; they really were suited as partners. She scooted towards the middle and patted the sofa, inviting Bobby to sit and relax with her whilst Mike and Megan scrambled to their feet to assemble their own evidence. He slid in behind her, cosying her into his side. As she settled, he snagged her coffee cup, taking a restorative gulp... and immediately grimaced at the oversweet, creamy taste. Alex gave him a _serves you right_ look and snagged the cup right back, turning back to their cohorts as Mike deliberately cleared his throat.

Dryly, Mike interjected, "When you two have finished playing happy couples... we got some good stuff today, you're gonna like it... promise... "

Megan jumped in... "Passenger list came up trumps with the surname you got of the rental car people – a Mark Chamberlaine flew into La Guardia from Boston, with a ticket paid for by the same card as the flowers were..."

Mike continued the description of what they'd found. "There was a second ticket purchased in another transaction, but we're having to go back to Financial Crime and then through to the airline again to find out who for. It looks like they took the same flight but checked in separately. The airline is going to let us know who was sat round Mark Chamberlaine on the plane..."

Megan interjected, "... we asked about 16 to 17 year olds travelling alone. They're going to ask the Stewardesses on duty that day, but it was a domestic flight so passports weren't required but photo card ID was; there's a chance fake ID was used."

Mike finished off, "We managed to speak to the check-in clerk, who remembered a dark-haired male teenager travelling alone, but he showed adult ID and she can't remember what it said..." he said, trailing off and looking expectantly at Bobby. "So... what do the pair of you think... any ideas?" Megan was virtually bouncing in her seat.

Bobby and Alex exchanged glances, more convinced now than ever that the evidence was leading to only one conclusion. Alex subtly nodded her assent and Bobby took a deep breath, preparing to tell a fantastic tale.

Staying curled round Alex, Bobby gestured for Mike and Megan to get comfortable. "Take a seat, guys... Alex and I want to tell you a story... it's... it's all about something that happened way before either of you joined Major Case. Once upon a time, about six or so years ago, there was a lost, little boy. His name was..."

* * *

A/N2: Worked it out, huh? Sshhh...puts finger to lips Would you be a doll and keep it to yourself for a moment or two? You can give yourself a big 'ole pat on the back though!

Oh, and please press that little button and leave me a review!!


	10. Almost the Whole Ball Game

Disclaimer: They're not mine but I do play with them.

A/N Any errors or inconsistencies are my own.

**Ch.10 Almost the Whole Ball Game**

_Previously on Law and Order: Criminal Intent..._

_Bobby and Alex exchanged a glance; more convinced now than ever that the evidence was leading to only one conclusion. Alex subtly nodded her assent and Bobby took a deep breath, preparing to tell a fantastic tale._

_Staying curled round Alex, Bobby gestured for Mike and Megan to get comfortable. "Take a seat, guys... Alex and I want to tell you a story... it's... it's all about something that happened way before either of you joined Major Case. Once upon a time, about six or so years ago, there was a lost, little boy. His name was..."_

* * *

Logan and Wheeler looked stunned.

Mike recovered first. Perching on the edge of his seat, he fixed his gaze on Bobby asking "A kid? You're sure? How can a kid be responsible for all this mess?"

Bobby smiled and securing Alex's hand in his own, he gave it a gentle squeeze as he centered his attention on Mike. "You gotta remember what we're dealing with. This kid is highly intelligent, bright and practised at pulling the wool over people's eyes – thanks to his Dad..."

Megan still looked a little sceptical. "You sure you're sure, Bobby? I trust your judgement but still... a kid?!"

Bobby looked like he'd been expecting not to be believed from the very moment he'd worked out who was behind this complicated, exotic ruse. And a ruse was exactly what Bobby believed it to be. The reason though... the reason for the elaboration and complication was not yet clear. And nor would it be until Bobby and his mini-me met face to face. _Mano a minor_. At least, that's what he thought...

Alex jumped into the pregnant pause. "This kid is way beyond his years, Mike. He might only be seventeen now but he's seventeen going on forty. And he feels like he's got unfinished business. With Bobby." She squeezed back; lacing her fingers through Bobby's a little tighter. "I kid you not... no pun intended... this boy is a complex individual, a product of a very pressured upbringing and a Father who was a role model in all the wrong ways possible. I get the feeling... stop me if I'm overstepping here, Bobby... that this is all about fathers and influences and..."

Bobby continued the thought reflectively, "...and I'm probably the male with the most influence in his recent years, apart from the Father who only tried to create a being in his own fevered image of perfection."

Turning to Alex, he tugged gently on the hand he held, pulling her closer... and closer. "I think you got it, Alex..." he breathed, excited brown eyes sinking into hers, as he leaned in for a salutary, celebratory, deliberately sexy kiss.

'_God, he gets me every time... each time he gets this close I forget how to breathe! What am I – a teenager??!! I should...mumbph... stop thinking Alex!!! Enjoy... feel...' _The kiss itself looked perfectly acceptable to Megan and Mike – chaste even. But Bobby had a way of letting Alex know just what he was thinking. It was definitely _'in his kiss'_... the way he nibbled gently, traced softly, sucked just a little suggestively, sipped seductively... and all before he made any attempt to seek entrance.

Mike cleared his throat emphatically and **very** obviously, "Uh, guys? Bobby? Alex?", gave up trying to reach the stratosphere – since that's certainly where they were by now, the way the kiss was going – and stuck a couple of fingers between his teeth, giving his best New York 'Cab' whistle.

Megan coughed suspiciously, trying – and failing - to cover her laughter at Bobby and Alex's matching sheepish faces. Mike out and out grinned. He liked seeing Bobby like this. It was good for him. Alex was good for him. Idly, he watched as Alex removed lipstick from Bobby's lips with her thumb as he rested his forehead on hers, getting his breath back. It sure looked like their relationship was going from strength to strength. He wondered just how serious it had gotten and new better than to ask. Bobby would never be one for locker-room talk and Alex wouldn't be likely to share that with Megan. Time would tell.

"You two finished?" he asked, arching an eyebrow high over one eye, "'Cos we've still gotta work out how to get this guy... uh, kid... before he does anymore damage to your currently less than stellar reputation. You don't need anything else adding to your police jacket, unless it's another commendation..."

Alex shot Mike a murderous look, hackles rising, about to launch into very vocal support of her Partner... until Bobby squeezed her hand, letting her know 'it's okay', he wasn't taking offence at Mike's comments.

Wryly, Bobby retorted "It's going to take a lot more than another reprimand for me to beat your record, Mikey." Mike tried to look wounded, but in the face of Alex and Megan's giggles, he really couldn't pull it off.

"True enough... Are we quits now?"

"Quits, Mike." Bobby cast his eye over their little group and settled on the quietest, "Megan, what are you thinking?"

Megan looked kinda surprised to be brought into the planning like this. After all, she wasn't as tight with Bobby and Alex as her own partner was. Still, it intrigued her – the situation and the chance to meet the kid who, so far, had bested the great and good Bobby Goren.

She mused a little while, mulling over what Alex had said and what she knew, so far of the case, keen to provide an insight that Bobby, and the others, would value.

"If, as you say Alex, fathers and sons are at the root of all his misguided and misdirected activity...and I think you **are** right...then it's possible he's waiting for his 'Dad' a.k.a. you Bobby, to call him out on his behaviour."

Megan sat back, having delivered this little nugget, a mere seed of an idea requiring a little tender loving care, a little water, to germinate into a full-on theory. Bobby looked intrigued by the concept and sought unspoken agreement from Alex and Mike. Alex looked approvingly at Megan, impressed at her development since partnering with Mike. It seemed the two of them were very good for each other.

Mike turned to Megan, proudly delivering a gentle fist-bump to her shoulder. "I think Freckles has a point there, Bobby. If you think about it, he's been escalating all his escapades until you couldn't ignore him. Classic teenager... don't you remember behaving like this when you were a younger, just to get a little attention from the parental units?" Immediately the words left his big, thoughtless mouth, Mike winced and tried to frantically back-peddle, looking Bobby straight in the eye.

"Gees, I'm sorry Bobby... didn't think before I spoke and slipped a size nine straight in..."

Alex smirked a little sympathy and a little enjoyment at Mike's discomfort. "It's okay Mike, Bobby's not so freaky about his family history since he's been enjoying the love of a very good woman. That's fair to say, isn't it Bobby?"

Bobby smiled, one of the genuine ones that crinkled his eyes at the corners and quirked his lips endearingly. "Fair, Alex...and completely true." He turned his attentions to Mike.

"Don't sweat it, Mike. My family history reads like Shakespeare comic-tragedy with the accent on the tragedy. We all know it but I'm learning to concentrate a little more on the here and now. But I think Megan is right. He's acting out and it's time to call him on it."

Alex caught on. "If it is who we think it is, and if he still has the same needs and wants as he did when we met him, then I think I know exactly what will can entice him out into full view."

Bobby seconded Alex's opinion. "There is one thing I can think of that was so important to this kid at the time. The one thing he wanted above all and the one topic we bonded over. If I send this kid an invitation that shows I remember, that I haven't forgotten him, I think he'll be intrigued enough to come meet me."

Mike frowned, "It all sounds great, Bobby but how are you going to get a message to him and his friend? So far, he's done all the contacting and the trail leaving."

Megan and Alex leaned forward, intrigued to see how Bobby would overcome this small but critical obstacle. But it was Megan who supplied the answer.

"He's what? Seventeen? Then he's got the one thing no teenager would be without..." The over-forties brigade stared at her with various degrees of perplexity. "Oh come on Guys... a cell phone! He's got to have a cell phone. And if it's on a plan, then we can trace it and the number and that's how you send him your invitation. SMS."

Alex sat up a little straighter, tucking her hair behind her left ear, visibly thinking. _Could it be so simple? To send him a text message and resolve all this angst?_

"Mike shook his head in disbelief. "Nah, he's not gonna make it that easy for us, is he?"

Megan shook hers more vehemently, leaning forward, gesticulating eagerly. "Yes. He is. Remember Mike... Bobby..." Here eyes swivelled between the two men, under Alex's thoughtful gaze. "He wants Bobby's attention. He's bright but he knows you're brighter, Bobby. He's going to leave an avenue open that means you can come to him. He's going to expect you to find a way."

Megan turned to Bobby, entreating hand outstretched, "He's going to expect that you won't dismiss the obvious hidden in all his clever antics..."

Bobby rested his elbows on his knees and his chin in one hand, eyes half closed, head cast to his left, thinking it through. "You could be right, Megan. I'm so used to seeing Machiavelli in the actions of humankind that it often takes some else to see the obvious in someone's actions."

Alex brightened, reaching for her cell phone, dialling the tech desk at 1PP, "Let's see if our little suspect has joined the 21st century media frenzy... Hey, JJ, can you search all cell phone providers for a phone plan registered to..."

* * *

**The next morning at 1PP**

Alex strode into the conference room where the others were gathered round the evidence board. "Hey guys, I got the full details from the tech guys... so we got cell number and an address... and from the address the DMV records..."

"and the hip bone's connected to the thigh bone..." Mike's surprisingly melodic voice intoned. "Yadda, Yadda... give us the number and we'll see if Bobby can manage to send a text message to the wunderkind..."

Megan held her hand out for Bobby's phone... "Hand it over... and I'll type." Megan stood expectantly, waiting for Bobby to hand over the unit. Alex looked at Bobby's just slightly pouty belligerent little boy face and had to a laugh. "Megan, despite the rumors in the bull pen, he can manage a text message. Granted, it's that or talk and he doesn't do text speak but apart from that, he's pretty competent."

Bobby wasn't sure whether to go with the compliment or address the slur on the abilities of his gender and in the end, chose to rise above. With a pleasant smile at Alex, which only held a mild promise of the retribution to be extracted later, he turned to Megan. "I can manage to use this thing to send a message. Just ask Alex..." He left that one hanging as two heads swivelled to observe the delicate rosy hue on her cheeks. And the pink tongue that darted out in Bobby's direction with the speed of a five-year olds taunt.

"It's just... the message will get him where we want him... time and venue etc... but I really want to do something that really gets his attention and lets him know I _remember _him. Give it a personal twist..." By now Bobby was gesticulating wildly, big hands wind-milling and long legs pacing a track round the conference room.

His partners watched as Bobby thought his way through how to get his quarry to somewhere appropriate for the conversation they needed to have. Somewhere that would mean something, have relevance and would show him that he'd not been forgotten over these past years. In fact, Bobby had never forgotten this bright boy – and never would.

He turned back to the room and, deliberately making eye contact with Alex, Megan and finally Mike, he said "Mike, you still have a lead on Yankees tickets?"

He looked a little puzzled but agreed nonetheless, "I do. Sure. When for...and why?"

Bobby thought about the first carefully and ignored the second. "They have a Sunday game this week. Against the Angels, right, Mike? Can you get tickets for that?"

"Sure, no problem. You want I get four?" Mike was already wincing at the potential outlay – he hoped expenses would cover it – and the more costly drain on the goodwill of his supplier. "And again I ask...why?"

Alex jumped in, "Because apart from Mensa level IQ's, difficult childhoods and a unique view on the ways of the world there's one other thing that our two bright boys have in common. And that, my co-conspirators, is baseball."

* * *

_A/N2 This chapter is a little short but essential to the finale. Thanks for your patience with the story and for the reviews so far. Keep them coming. Thanks, Claire._


	11. The Long Wind Up

Disclaimer: They're not mine but I do play with them.

A/N Consider this an 'M' for mature content. And thanks to JamiW for inspiring me to get back to writing.

**Ch.11 The Long Wind Up**

_Previously on Law and Order: Criminal Intent..._

… "_Because apart from Mensa level IQ's, difficult childhoods and a unique view on the ways of the world there's one other thing that our two bright boys have in common. And that, my co-conspirators, is baseball."_

* * *

**At 1PP, the same day…**

Bobby's thumb hovered over the gently glowing green light of the 'send' key on his phone, myriad thoughts, emotions and little vignettes tumbling through his brain.

His message was simple but hopefully effective and as enigmatic as the messages and meanings sent with the flowers and in the envelope left in his mailbox.

Bobby entirely trusted that the recipient would remember all their earlier interactions and draw from his message exactly what he had intended him to. His quarry was no ordinary prey. Not prey at all, come to think. Adversary? Perhaps, but that would put him in the same mental filing cabinet as Nicole and Bobby really couldn't allow that.

He only hoped they had covered all the bases. Alex squeezed his forearm gently in encouragement and, drawing both comfort and courage from that soft, safe touch, he confidently pressed the button. There, it was done. When all was said and done, today would either herald a home run or a strikeout. Bobby hoped they would all make it safely to home plate. Either way, the game was afoot, in more ways than one. _And enough with the baseball metaphors, Goren… _

"Hey…? Bobby? I gotta go meet my guy and collect the tickets for the game. Anything else we need before the first pitch on Sunday?" Mike was already edging towards the door, keen to get this thing done and gone and get back to the semblance of normal that passed for life in Major Case.

Severely distracted, Bobby barely heard Mike. "Huh? Oh… nope. Can't think of anything…" he mumbled, missing Mike's frown and noises of general dissatisfaction. Megan just laughed, "Give in, Mike. He's in his 'Sherlock Holmes' headspace… Martians could land and Bobby wouldn't notice. Let's go. I want to meet this godsend who's provided these tickets and watch you pale when you hand over the exorbitant fee. Just how much is he fleecing you for anyhow?"

Mike blanched, paling beneath his tan, squeezed his eyes tightly shut and, swallowing past the lump suddenly in his throat, he mumbled. "A grand…" Even Megan paled at that. "A grand! What… are they upholstered in gold leaf? The seats I mean, not the tickets."

Mike shook his head pityingly… although not entirely sure whether at himself or his protégé this time round. "No, Freckles… that's the going rate on the after sales market for seats as good as these. If it all works out today, I'll consider it an excellent investment. If not, then…" Mike's eyebrows couldn't possibly rise any higher as he contemplated his bank balance and a poor outcome "…I'll be seeking dishwashing opportunities for myself and Goren the Great over there," nodding to where Bobby was otherwise engaged in deep conversation with Alex. "C'mon, let's go."

Alex registered the moment Mike and Megan left the bullpen but that was about it. Her attention was firmly on Bobby as she gently quizzed him on the message he'd sent to encourage his teenage tormenter to meet face to face. Mano a Mano. Les deux enfants terribles. The Bright Boys.

"Bobby?" she questioned. "What did you choose to say to him?" knowing full well each and every word would have been carefully strung together to provide the hook leading to the line and, ultimately, the sinker.

"I… I asked him if he wanted to compare stats again, just like we did last time, suggesting we do it for real at the Stadium."

"Do you think that will work?" It seemed a little… pedestrian to Alex. Too pedestrian for Bobby, in fact. "I'm guessing that's not all you said to him, Bobby."

Bobby simply smiled and, leaning in, gently caressed Alex's sexy smirk with a loving kiss, glad they were still in the safety of the conference room. "All in good time, Alex…" and deftly slipped his cell phone into his pants pocket. Alex hoisted her hands on to her hips, attempting an appropriately miffed stance but couldn't honestly pull it off. Bobby was just too adorable in his mischievous boy mode. Grinning, she returned the caress with an osculation of her own. "Let's go home, Bobby. I know you'll get him, my very own bright boy."

"Home?" Bobby couldn't help but be hopeful. An afternoon of Alex was after all, the perfect gift.

Alex smiled, reaching out to stroke her hand over his cheek. "Your place, Bobby. Let's go."

* * *

Logan grimaced as he pressed crisp bill after crisp bill of greenbacks into the sweaty palm of his over-eager and over-charging ticket wizard. Guy must have thought Christmas came early by the salivating smirk. It had better be worth it, this high stakes gamble. Mike had complete confidence in whatever Bobby had planned, despite not knowing exactly what was playing out in Goren's head. Sometimes it was better to not know _exactly_. Plausible deniability and all that. Still, he'd be a little more comfortable with a defined plan and knowing exactly what Bobby had in mind for him and Wheeler.

"Thanks, Man. Painful doing business with you. I ever need a root canal with no pain relief, I'll be sure to come again." Patting the wizard on the shoulder with just a little more force than strictly necessary, Mike smiled brightly and sent him on his way, a happier, wealthier man. Turning, he spied Wheeler grinning at the whole situation Mike found himself in. "Did you get the seats you were promised? The same numbers you gave Bobby?"

Mike reviewed the four golden tickets in his hand. The perfect seats – prime baseball real estate, right there in his hand. He sighed in satisfaction. "Yep – we're golden. These are great."

Megan screwed her nose up a little, like she did when in serious thought. "But there are only four, right? That's what Bobby said you needed to get. There are six of us. Who's going where? We can't all get in without tickets and two of those will be for Bright Boy and his companion. How are we getting in?"

Mike frowned and flipping his phone open, dialled Bobby. Megan had a good point. His Freckles was definitely coming along in the observation stakes. Three rings, four rings, five rings… _'C'mon Bobby, unhand the blonde and answer the damn phone!'_

Bobby was damned near nirvana with Alex wrapped round him and thoughts of what would happen Sunday far from the forefront of his mind. _'Oh, the things she does to me.' Heat, softness, warmth, wetness. Softness, silky skin, fingers gently trailing up and down her spine, teasing, tempting… _and there it was. The shrill interruption of his cell phone, defiantly out of tune with the turn of his thoughts and the lovely sensations everywhere else.

Alex mewled plaintively as Bobby eased her away from him, reluctantly breaking their connection and the kiss. "Bobby… c'mon… don't… just… Dammit, Bobby, voicemail will get it!" Unable to resist, he leaned in and stole a last kiss, softly sucking her lower lip between his, nibbling and soothing the nip of his teeth… and reached for his cell. "Mike?"

"Hey, Bobby. Got the tickets. How we working this thing? Did you get a response to your message? Is it on?"

"Whoa, Mike. Take a breath. I only just sent the message. Give the kid a chance." Taking advantage of the diversion, Alex gently pushed him downwards onto the sofa, slipping into his lap, determined to wage a war of distraction as he spoke to Mike. Bobby sighed as her hand slid into his curls, tracing the shell of his ear as her arm snaked round the breadth of his shoulders. It took seconds for Bobby's free hand to slide along the length of her thigh, holding her still along with his determined gaze while he spoke to his eager friend. Alex knew she would pay for it later and was looking forward to it immensely.

"Fair enough. Hey, Bobby… Freckles has a question for you. Why only four seats? Who's going where? What's the plan?" Much like Bobby, Mike had the eagerness of a child when a sting was unfolding.

"Slow Down, Mike." Bobby dipped and gave Alex a quick conciliatory kiss, with more than a hint of a promise for later. "He doesn't know you but he will remember Alex, so we'll be up in the seats. Plus Alex can handle Mark, if I need her to. I want you and Megan to cover the two exits either side of the section and keep an eye out for any surprises."

Mike knew what that meant. "In case he bolts, you mean."

Bobby sighed, leaning his head back on the sofa as Alex snuggled under his chin. Alexandra Eames rarely snuggled, except when she sensed his disquiet or anxiety. Then she clung like Clamp, the mighty limpet, knowing it soothed him beyond measure. "Yep. I don't want him to not talk, Mike. He needs to talk and he needs me to listen. I… I want to be sure he gets the opportunity to do that."

Mike heard every word that Bobby didn't say. The meaning beneath. Both had had childhoods that frankly, sucked, with abuses of differing natures but similar effect. Things would have been so different if either had someone to talk to back then. Someone to not just listen but also to hear. He took a deep breath, smiling over at Wheeler, who waited far more patiently than he would. "Sounds like a good plan, Bobby. I guess you need me to get me and Wheeler into the stadium?" Mike took a good deep breath, blowing out a long stream of anticipation. "I know a guy. I'll get us in."

Bobby smiled at the other end of the phone, knowing he could count on Mike to come through for them. Mike always had a guy who knew a guy who could get what was needed, when it was needed - be it tickets, or access all areas. "Great. Thanks, Mike. You're a good friend."

Mike barked out a laugh, the sound and feeling starting to become more familiar over the last couple of weeks with Megan, Alex and Bobby. "Sure, Bobby. You need us before Sunday?"

Bobby sincerely hoped not. He was hoping for a little one on one time with his new _girlfriend_. Man, that seemed weird to say, given their respective ages. It sounded a little too high-school to describe what he and Alex had between them. And then, she definitely had him feeling like a teenager in certain aspects. Certain significant aspects. Aspects that were growing exponentially as she grazed his jawline with her perfect teeth, huffing a soft breath towards his ear, sucked gently on that pulse point on his neck. Yep. _Girlfriend_ certainly did not describe the depth and breadth of the feelings, the sheer emotion of being vulnerable to her tender ministries.

"Bobby… Bobby…. Goddammit… BOBBY! Put the blonde down and talk to me!"

Bobby realised his phone had slipped from his ear as he revelled in Alex, quickly he jerked it back to his ear as Alex softly laughed an apology. "Sorry for… distracting you, Bobby…"

He blushed to his very roots at being caught out again, fancying himself as having the level of sophistication to withstand such distractions but, this was Alex, and he was only a man; a man who could only take so much temptation.

"Ahh… sorry about that Mike. No. I think… I think we're all set. I'll let you and Wheeler know when he replies to my text and what he says. But I don't think we need to worry about it until Sunday now."

"Okay. Sweet. I'll let Megan know. Sure you don't want to meet for dinner Saturday?" Mike proposed, tongue very firmly in cheek. Didn't take a genius to figure out Bobby had other plans involving Alex this weekend. Aww, hell, he couldn't blame him, nor begrudge him every moment of sweetness he could wring from it. Kinda made him wish he had something similar to look forward to himself.

"Ahh… no. Thanks for thinking of us," Bobby said, not a little wryly. "But I'm pretty sure I have other plans and they only require a party of two. I'll… no, _we'll_ see you two on Sunday."

"Sure, Bobby. The diner? About 10.30? We can have brunch, talk it out. Should be perfect timing." Bobby smiled, the way to Mike's heart was most definitely through his non-discerning stomach. And he always ate the most heartburn inducing meals before a sting or a stakeout as if taunting the Devil himself. Most cops had their good luck rituals and Mike was no different. And Bobby? He'd always had Alex. All the luck he'd ever needed or ever would.

"Sounds good, Mike." Ending the call, Bobby threw his phone onto the sofa cushions and turned all his attention to an amazingly quiescent Alex, smiling to see she'd succumbed to sleep, curled up on his lap, the elegant fingers of one pale, fine hand lightly gripping his shirtfront. She could sleep. For now. This week had been full on and hectic to boot. But later? Later, he very much doubted she'd want to be sleeping.

Mike closed his phone with a chuckle and not a little envy. Slinging an arm about Megan's shoulders, he invited, "Come on, Freckles, let's find a coffee shop round here. I'll buy you a cup of joe and tell you all about it…" Wheeler couldn't help but smile at Logan. It was turning out to be surprisingly pleasant and fun to work with the Major Case Musketeers.

* * *

Alex stretched enthusiastically, working out the lingering remnants of sleep. Napping in the afternoon felt so deliciously decadent and was something she hadn't done for a very long time. Not since she'd been pregnant with Nate and it was all she could do to get through the afternoon at work without face planting on the laptop on her desk.

She had no such excuse in the half-light of late afternoon, but napping and waking up this way was so much more pleasant that she felt not one iota of guilt. Only warmth, and safety and consumed by caring from the lovely heat source surrounding her. _Mmhmm, I could get so used to this feeling. To this man. To just… this._ Alex turned in the arms surrounding her, keeping her safe and secure against his heart, and slipped her own around his torso, tucking her head beneath his chin. He, too, slept soundly, a snore now and then interrupting the hypnotic rhythm of his breathing, ruffling the bangs at her temple.

Starting slowly, she pressed gentle salutations along the ridge of his collar bone, into the hollows at the base of his throat and against the protuberance of his Adam's apple, careful not to wake her sleeping bear too quickly, enjoying having the chance to adore him the way he so obviously adored her. He was so conscientious to her needs, he neglected his own and Alex was determined not to let him sway her this time. _Oh, he smells so good, so uniquely Bobby._ Her eager tongue flicked out to taste him._ And he tastes sublime too. A hint of salt, and musk and the slight tinge of his aftershave as she inhaled him._ Getting a little braver and a lot more determined, Alex purposefully kissed her way up to his mouth, a little open as he slept, his bottom lip much fuller than his top and practically begging for her attention. Gently, she laid kisses at each corner of his mouth, laved at the bow of his top lip and sucked gently on the fullness of his bottom lip, eventually moulding her lips to his, licking her way along the seam and into the warmth of him. She noted his breathing change, his heart rate kick up a notch and his pulse beat noticeably against the hand she held to his jawline. _Oh, so that's your game, Detective Goren. Well, two can play… even better than one…_ If Bobby was determined to play possum, she'd do everything within the realm of her womanly wiles to entice him out.

Bobby kept his eyes closed by the strength of his incredible will. God knows it was incredibly hard to stay still as Alex worked her fantastically talented lips over his own. And over his neck, and across his chest, and up his jaw… She was so warm, soft, incredibly petite against him. All her soft planes moulded to the hard, and not so firm, planes of his own, with only t-shirts and boxers between them. _Dear Lord, grant me this… let me last long enough to give Alex all she deserves. _God knows, the Lord had not heard all his prayers in recent years, nor had he felt sufficient belief to ask much of him but if ever faith deserved to be rewarded…

Alex smiled against his mouth. Bobby wouldn't be able to hold off for long. The changed cadence of his breathing revealed just how affected he was by her ministrations and attention. Deliberately, she moved her hand from behind his back, trailing it over his hip, along the waistband of his boxer shorts, short nails gently trailing over the vulnerable skin of his belly, feeling the involuntary ripples at her touch, the hitch in his breath. A single finger dipped into his belly button and met the soft hair that trailed down to greater treasures. Dipping further below his boxers, she traced downwards inch by tortuous inch… and Bobby flipped.

Growling, he spun Alex onto her back, one strong hand holding both of hers firmly above her head, against the pillows. Alex found herself stretched out under Bobby, her hips moulded to his, cradling him between her thighs, right where she wanted him. Right where he wanted to be. Sighing at the contact, Bobby dropped his forehead to hers, closing his eyes at the overwhelming sensation of being here, like this, with Alex. He found his voice.

"Alex?"

"Hmm?" was about all she could manage just at this minute.

"Are… are you sure? There's no going back from here…" Bobby said, an edge of uncertainty in his voice. And that ever present inner voice behind it. The one that convinced him that Alex couldn't possibly want him.

Her warm brown eyes, looked up at his, and she smiled. Just smiled. It was warm, soft and it made her nose crinkle adorably. Not that he'd ever mention that. And she held his gaze absolutely directly. Then she kissed him. And it left him in absolutely no doubt that she was certain about them. About him.

Letting go her wrists, he moved to the hem of her t-shirt. "Lift up…" and she did, letting him strip the t-shirt from her, leaving her in her quite luckily matching undies. One thing about being in a new boyfriend phase is the desire to shave every day and wear matched panties and bra and she thanked her lucky stars for it.

"Your turn…" Alex pulled the white t-shirt up his arms and over his head, leaving him with cutely tousled curls. They looked at each other in wonder. "We're really gonna do this, huh?" said Bobby, rubbing his lips over hers, smoothing his cheek against her incredibly soft skin. Alex gazed up at him, stretching to meet his lips, taking her time with her kiss.

"Yes. We are. You nervous?"

Bobby tilted his head to one side, eyes almost closed in a manner reminiscent of a mannerism she'd seen many times when in deep thought… or cataloguing evidence…

"Nope. Anticipation? Eagerness? Yes. Nervous? Never with you, Alex."

"Good. Let me up a little, I need to be out of these things…" Bobby slipped off her and off to her side, leaning on one elbow with his other hand flat on her stomach, as if he didn't want to lose contact with her. Alex arched her back, reaching around to unhook her bra, trailing the straps down her arms, and flung it blindly to the chair in the corner of Bobby's bedroom. Laying back, she hooked her thumbs into the edge of her panties, sweeping them down her legs and in the same direction as the bra. Bobby kept his hand exactly where he'd laid it, trailing his eyes from the top of her head to the point of her toes.

Slowly, his hand followed the same path as his eyes. Easing her hair out of her eyes, tracing the edge of an ear, down the ridge of her nose, the fullness of her lips to the length of her throat. Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to her neck, sucked the skin between his teeth, soothed with his tongue as Alex arched into the press of his palm over her breast.

Her nipple beaded against his palm and her eyes drifted closed on a sigh as he lavished attention on the other bud with his amazingly talented tongue. The dual sensations threatened to send her over the edge before they got to the good stuff. _Still, a minute or two more couldn't hurt…_

Bobby moved his attentions to counting each of her ribs, dipping into her belly button and over and around the silvery marks on the tender skin of her stomach, edging towards his ultimate goal. Alex let out an involuntarily sound at the sensation, slight embarrassment warring with the desire to take all Bobby was willing to give. Twining her hands in his curls, she gently tugged his gaze up to meet hers.

"Bobby. You don't have to, you know?" Alex bit her lip, _so close_ just from the thought of him…

Smiling, he laced the fingers of his left hand with her right and kissed her knuckles. "Oh, but I do, Alex… I really do…"

_OMFG… _Incapable of thought or speech, Alex could only feel as Bobby turned her into a vessel of sensation, sinking rapidly below the onslaught of constant waves of pleasure. Eventually, she found the wherewithal to stop him…

"Not without you, Bobby. Not this time…" As much as she loved the way he loved her, cherished her and gave selflessly to her, this time she wanted to bring him along with her. Together. Urging him upwards, Alex brought him into her arms and using her hands and her toes, she dragged his boxers over his hips and off his feet, relishing the _feel_ of him _right there_ just where she needed him.

Raising up on his elbows, Bobby stared into her eyes, poised… ready…

"Alex? Do I need…?" _Damn. This bit never got easier, he thought, and especially when I'm so out of practice and so close to…_

"No. I'm good if you are?" The whys and wherefores, the ins and outs would wait for later… for _after_.

"Yeah, I'm good. I'm perfect. You're perfect." Bobby leaned down to kiss her and with a single flex of his hips, Alex took him in.

And it was. Perfect. And bizarrely, Bobby found himself thinking, _So, this is what it feels like… just like I'm home. Where I'm meant to be. With Alex._

Alex gasped at the exquisite sensation of being filled by Bobby. The long slow glide, the last hitch, the pressure of his pubic bone against that part of her… all of it about as perfect as she could ever have imagined. Except…

"Bobby… you… I… you need to move…now…"

And he did. She did. They did. Together. The slip and slide of bodies in an ageless rhythm, timeless yet entirely new, breaths growing ragged, rhythm losing that synchronicity as they raced towards something magnificent. Cresting, hovering, Alex teetered on the very edge. Sensing she was close, Bobby mustered all his tenuous concentration and altered the angle of his thrusts an infinitesimal amount, just a tiny movement that transformed everything for Alex. Her breath catching, she drew her knees up, made a little more space between her thighs and _flew_ as Bobby's final movements took her over the precipice; throwing her head back, she keened as all sensation coalesced into that perfect moment. Bobby felt the involuntary bow and arch of his spine as the heat, slickness and strength of Alex surrounded him, drew him deeper and emptied him out, filling him with a complete sense of rightness.

Smiling in satisfaction, Alex, kissed the damp curls at his temples, soothed her soft hands down his damp and sweaty spine, clasping briefly at his delectable backside as he lazily thrust once, twice… a final time, revelling in the feel of him. Tipping her mouth to his ear, she breathed, "Love you, Bobby… love you."

"My Alex", he replied on a yawn, "Love you, too, Alexandra Eames."

Wrapping a strong arm round her lower back, Bobby flipped them gently, maintaining their connection, until Alex lay draped over him, her head in the notch of his shoulder… and they slept.

* * *

AN2: Wow. It feels good to be writing again. Let me know what you thought? Thanks, Claire.


End file.
